US EditionTSA lines at Houston airport turn into a 3-floor nightmare amid staffing shortage
Partial government shutdown has caused over 40% of TSA officers at Houston airports to call out, leading to multi-hour waits and ICE agents assisting with crowd control, officials said.
- On Monday, March 23, 2026, Houston Airport System officials warned of security wait times exceeding four hours at George Bush Intercontinental Airport as U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents began assisting Transportation Security Administration operations.
- The ongoing partial government shutdown, which began February 14, has created critical staffing shortages; nearly 40% of TSA officers at Bush Airport called out on Saturday, and officers have gone without pay three times in nearly six months.
- Former TSA Administrator John Pistole said ICE agents lack specialized training and cannot replace TSA officers at checkpoints. Joanna Kuebler, chief of programs at America's Voice, called the deployment "dangerous, unnecessary and absurd."
- Only two security checkpoints remain open at IAH, pushing travelers into increasingly clogged lines; with TSA PreCheck and Clear services closed, passengers face extended waits and missed flights.
- Pistole highlighted that $1.6 billion in 9/11 security fees has been diverted from TSA operations to reduce the budget deficit since October 1, straining the workforce before the current shutdown intensified existing staffing challenges.
23 Articles
23 Articles
Travel disruption continues even after ICE agents deployed to airports
People stand in a security line at George Bush Intercontinental Airport that extended all the way to the airport’s subway terminal in Houston, March 24, 2026. (KTRK) (NEW YORK) — Travel upheaval continued at some of the nation’s airports on Tuesday as people were forced to navigate long security lines despite President Donald Trump deploying Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents to help cut down on wait times. One of the longest secur…
Airport Chaos as TSA Absenteeism Soars Amid Partial Shutdown.
PULSE POINTSWHAT HAPPENED: Travelers faced extensive delays at major U.S. airports as Transportation Security Administration (TSA) staffing shortages caused security wait times to spike to nearly five hours in some locations.WHO WAS INVOLVED: TSA officers, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents deployed to mitigate the labor shortages, and travelers across the nation impacted by the ongoing staffing crisis, caused by the Senate De…
Hourslong security lines at Bush Airport leave Houston travelers missing flights, rebooking while they wait
The Trump administration sent ICE agents to airports in Houston and across the U.S. on Monday to assist TSA workers, many of whom are calling out sick amid a partial government shutdown that began in mid-February.
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