Travel Disruption Continues Despite ICE Agents at Airports

Long security lines persist as TSA workers call out sick amid government shutdown

Mar. 25, 2026 at 12:55am

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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 security waits was at Bush International Airport in Houston, where travelers stood in a line stretching from the airport subway to the security check-in gates. The airport disruption even delayed a member of the National Transportation Safety Board team who was flying to investigate a deadly crash.

Why it matters

The partial government shutdown over Department of Homeland Security funding has caused more than 450 TSA officers to quit and thousands to call out from work, leading to severe staffing shortages and long security lines at airports across the country. This is disrupting travel and impacting critical government investigations.

The details

Despite the deployment of ICE agents to at least 14 of the nation's busiest airports, security lines remained extremely long on Tuesday. At Bush International Airport in Houston, the wait time to get through security exceeded four hours. The disruption even delayed a member of the NTSB team flying to investigate a deadly crash. Nationwide, over 3,200 TSA officers called out sick on Monday, with some major airports reporting over 30% of TSA workers absent.

  • On Monday, ICE agents began showing up at airports to assist TSA workers.
  • On Tuesday, the wait time at Bush International Airport in Houston exceeded four hours.

The players

Donald Trump

The President of the United States who deployed ICE agents to airports to help with long security lines.

Jennifer Homendy

The chair of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).

Lauren Bis

The acting assistant secretary for public affairs at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

Tom Homan

The White House's border czar.

Ricky Smith

The manager of Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.

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What they’re saying

“Our air traffic control specialist, who was in line with TSA for three hours until we called in Houston to beg to see if we can get her through so we can get here. So, it's been a really big challenge to get the entire team here, and they're still arriving as I speak.”

— Jennifer Homendy, NTSB chair

“As we progress through this shutdown and call-outs increase, that means TSA can't process as many passengers as quickly as they can. Some passengers are missing flights and so they're coming in the next day. So, all of that is adding to more congestion, adding to longer lines.”

— Ricky Smith, Hartsfield-Jackson Airport Manager

“If this Homeland Security funding isn't resolved, I think you're going to see more TSA agents as we come to Thursday, Friday and Saturday of next week, they're going to quit, or they're not going to show up.”

— Sean Duffy, U.S. Transportation Secretary

What’s next

Senators on both sides of the aisle have said they are feeling increasingly optimistic that a deal to fully fund the Department of Homeland Security is on the horizon, and they are scrambling to find a solution before the end of this week when they are scheduled to go on recess.

The takeaway

The ongoing partial government shutdown over DHS funding has led to severe staffing shortages at the TSA, causing major travel disruptions at airports across the country. This highlights the need for Congress to quickly reach a deal to resolve the funding impasse and ensure the proper functioning of critical transportation infrastructure.