Airport security lines are universally dreaded by travelers. Lines are long, screenings are rushed, and there are large and overstimulating crowds. However, no one expected these security checks to put their travel plans in total jeopardy. If you previously thought TSA lines
were long, you have seen nothing like this. Wait times can currently reach up to multiple hours, with lines circling the entire airport. This has resulted in many travelers missing their flights, causing travelers to arrive at the airports hours before their planes board. This chaos has
been caused by the partial U.S. government shutdown. According to CNN, a partial government shutdown restricted funding to the Department of Homeland Security. TSA agents have gone unpaid for over a month, prompting many of them to quit or not show up. The shortage of workers has lengthened the process to screen travelers, worsened by the influx of air travel during the spring break season. Airports in more populated areas, like New York City’s LaGuardia Airport or the Los Angeles International Airport, saw lines with up to four-hour waits. This heavily interfered with people’s travel plans, with some even cancelling their trips because of the long TSA
lines. A large portion of the Union student body comes from out-of-state, and many students who have to travel by plane expressed con-
cern: “When my family went to BWI during spring break, the lines were so long that they looked like concert lines. They were out the door and wrapped around several times. I’m worried about the TSA workers because they were under this intense stress when they were working but not getting paid,” said Allyson Bennet ‘26. On March 23, ICE agents were deployed to multiple airports to help TSA workers. USA Today reported that ICE had been seen guarding certain areas and giving directions. ICE agents were not supposed to conduct immigration enforcement or arrest travelers. Despite this, there have been a number of detainments and their presence has caused travelers to fear going to the airport. People have questioned the true reason behind ICE’s presence in airports, seeing that they do not actually help with screening
checks. Instead of easing people’s stress, it does the opposite. This is the longest partial government shutdown in U.S. history, and Congress cannot seem to reach an agreement on how to resolve it. The next House meeting on the DHS budget takes place Thursday, April 9, though it is unclear if the parties will be able to reach an agreement. Hopefully, within the next few weeks, federal workers will be paid and airport traffic will return to normal.