Airport security lines get longer as DHS shutdown continues with no TSA pay

Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News on Mar 16, 2026

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Airport security lines are getting longer and longer as the Department of Homeland Security government shutdown stretches on and screeners working without paychecks call in sick or quit altogether.

Viral clips on social media show travelers lining up in predawn darkness out the door of terminals into parking lots and traffic ramps at popular spring break hot spots like Atlanta, Austin, Texas and South Florida.

The Transportation Safety Administration on Monday said midmorning wait times were a relatively modest 15 to 30 minutes at check points at John F. Kennedy International Airport and Newark Liberty while LaGuardia was a bit less at 15 minutes or less.

But those numbers can vary from terminal to terminal and passengers are being warned to show up at least 2.5 hours before their flights.

The situation is likely to keep getting worse in coming days with few signs of serious talks in Washington, D.C., to reach a compromise and end the partial shutdown that has cut funding to the Transportation Safety Administration and other DHS agencies.

Democrats say they are willing to fund TSA and other DHS agencies but are demanding reforms to President Trump’s immigration crackdown before they release money for Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol that are spearheading the mass deportation campaign.

Trump and his Republican allies are insisting that Democrats agree to fund the entire DHS or TSA will remain in shutdown mode.

Outgoing DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, who was recently fired by Trump but is still serving until her successor is confirmed, pointed the finger at Democrats.

“Democrats continue to play political games while TSA officers and travelers pay the highest price,” Noem tweeted.

Airport screeners are considered a key pressure point in the standoff because they are considered essential workers and are supposed to continue working in a shutdown even though they would not get paid until the government fully reopens.

Millions of Americans quickly start to share in the pain if TSA workers fail to show up for work in large numbers.

Unlike previous shutdowns, like the record-setting 41-day closure late last year, this one only affects DHS agencies. That means other federal government services like air traffic controllers, who are paid by the Department of Transportation, are functioning normally.

There is no real sign of any deal to end the pain.

The Senate, where a bipartisan 60 votes are needed to pass most legislation, has repeatedly refused to pass a spending package.

Instead of focusing on a possible compromise, Republicans plan to spend most of this week and possible next week seeking to push through Trump’s SAVE Act, which aims to put more restrictions on voting by demanding voters produce a U.S. passport or birth certificate with their legal name to cast their ballot.

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