March 20, 2026

Major airports on Friday continued to grapple with long wait times at security checkpoints, due to the showdown over the Department of Homeland Security’s funding in Congress.

In Atlanta, two-hour lines stretched out at the world’s busiest airport. The debacle at Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport mirrored lines at Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Texas, where passengers at crowded Transportation Security Administration checkpoints faced two and a half hour wait times Friday morning. At George Bush Intercontinental Airport, wait times were up to 135 minutes.

The development was sparked due to bickering in Congress over DHS funding. Democrats want policy changes for Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which falls under DHS, to be part of any deal. In the meantime, their position has provoked funding negotiations with Republicans and a temporary shutdown of parts of the agency, including TSA.

 

Major airports like Atlanta and Houston faced severe security checkpoint delays of up to two and a half hours due to a funding deadlock over the Department of Homeland Security in Congress, sparked by demands for Immigration and Customs Enforcement reforms. This stalemate led to a partial DHS shutdown, leaving TSA workers unpaid and prompting widespread absenteeism and resignations, with about 10% calling out sick recently, forcing officials to warn of potential airport closures. Airlines including American, Delta, and United have urgently appealed to Congress, emphasizing the critical impact on traveler numbers and TSA employees struggling financially without pay amid a record-breaking spring travel season.

Leave a Reply