Spring‑break airport chaos

The DHS funding lapse began when a short-term continuing resolution expired at 12:01 a.m. ET on Feb. 14, 2026, triggering the partial shutdown that has affected agencies that oversee airport operations. (congress.gov) Roughly 50,000 Transportation Security Administration officers have been required to work without pay during the lapse, and the agency hit a milestone of missed full paychecks in mid‑March. (usnews.com) Absence rates spiked at individual airports — Houston’s Hobby saw callout rates above 50% on March 8 while JFK averaged about a 21% absence rate during the shutdown — and DHS says more than 400 TSA workers have quit since the funding lapse began. (cbsnews.com) (nbcnews.com) Severe March storms compounded the staffing squeeze: Reuters reported more than 12,500 U.S. flights were delayed or canceled on March 16 as carriers and airports tried to recover during peak spring‑break demand. (usnews.com) White House border adviser Tom Homan confirmed ICE officers would begin assisting at airports on Monday, March 23, and administration officials said plans called for ICE to perform supporting tasks such as guarding exits and conducting roving checks while details about exact numbers and sites remained undisclosed. (politico.com) (bloomberg.com) The move drew pushback from unions and industry: the American Federation of Government Employees warned ICE officers aren’t trained for aviation screening, and CEOs of 10 major U.S. airlines published a March 15 letter urging Congress to restore DHS funding for roughly 50,000 unpaid aviation workers. (ideastream.org) (bloomberg.com) Local operational impacts have been tangible — FlightAware‑tracked data showed at least 190 flights delayed out of DFW on one recent Thursday, and airports in the spring‑break travel window were projecting millions of passengers over March and April. (cbsnews.com) (visahq.com)