TSA lines surge
Spring‑break travel hit major delays after a government shutdown squeezed DHS/TSA staffing — DHS posted videos showing massive security lines at airports (notably Austin‑Bergstrom) and urged travelers at 3:30 AM on March 15 to arrive 2.5–3 hours early DHS tweet and DHS update. The posts went viral (thousands of likes and tens of thousands of views), so expect long lines at busy U.S. hubs over the holiday stretch DHS tweet.
The DHS funding lapse began on Feb. 14, 2026, creating a partial shutdown that left key DHS components — including TSA — operating without regular appropriations. TSA staffing has plunged: roughly 61,000 TSA employees are designated essential but unpaid, unscheduled absences have more than (flightqueue.com) at many checkpoints, and agencies report hundreds of officers quitting since the funding lapse began Fox Business. Video and photos captured long lines at specific hubs: security lines at Austin‑Bergstrom were shown stretching outside terminals USA TODAY, while Denver International warned it would process more than 1.3 million spring‑break passengers as it braced for backups. Operational impacts hit travelers and carriers: multiple outlets reported hours‑long waits and up to three‑hour security delays and some airlines issued waivers or canceled flights amid the congestion Fox Business. The political standoff kept the shutdown alive into mid‑March — lawmakers hit the one‑month mark on March 13 as Senate votes to restore DHS funding repeatedly failed, prolonging unpaid pay periods and staffing gaps. Leadership churn added to the disruption: President Trump announced the removal of DHS Secretary Kristi Noem on March 5, 2026, naming Sen. Markwayne Mullin as his nominee to replace her while the department remained underfunded.
