The shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on Saturday will affect the security operations across the U.S. With the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) facing staff shortages, the screening process will take longer, causing passengers to wait at TSA checkpoints.
According to PBS, the immediate shutdown of the DHS recalled a 43-day government shutdown. This action led to mass cancellations and long flight delays in 2025. With lawmakers divided over funding, around 95 percent of TSA staff are considered essential and must work.
Since House and Senate Democrats rejected the funding, new restrictions have been placed on federal immigration operations. This has forced the staff to work without pay. However, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) will receive its monthly checks as usual, minimizing nationwide flight cancellations.
It’s official: Republicans have let funding for FEMA, TSA and the Coast Guard lapse.
Rather than work with House Democrats on commonsense reforms to ICE, Republicans have chosen to SHUT DOWN the entire Department of Homeland Security.
— House Democrats (@HouseDemocrats) February 14, 2026
A similar incident occurred in 2019, where screening delays built gradually over time. However, this particular shutdown will be different, as the situation will escalate more quickly. John Rose, chief risk officer at Altour, explained that this time the staff will be reminded of the previous shutdown. “It’s still fresh in their minds and potentially their pocketbooks,” he said.
The report could not predict when and where the delays would pop up, but it was certain that a slight absence of TSA staff would show immediate effects in screening delays. Rose suggested the travelers in the U.S. arrive early at the airport and utilize this extra time to get through security screening.
🚨This video is currently playing at every airport:
Imagine the lefties who are used to seeing CNN on every airport tv 🤣
“Democrats in Congress refuse to fund the federal government, & because of this…most of our TSA employees are working without pay.”
“We will continue to… pic.twitter.com/QeCgZYdosW
— Derrick Evans (@DerrickEvans4WV) October 10, 2025
Experts warn that flight delays are a real possibility even though the air traffic controllers are not affected by the shutdown. Rich Davis, senior security adviser at International SOS, stated that in some rare cases, the airline company might decide to delay the departures of their flight to wait for passengers to clear screening.
John Clark, a business traveler, expressed concern as he was one of the first travelers affected by the shutdown. He said, “You might not be able to get home if you’re already out, or it might delay if you worked all week and you’re trying to get home. It’s really bad.”
In order to avoid unnecessary hassle at the airport, Rose said that most airports around the country display wait times on their official websites. He said that passengers should check them in advance. Passengers should also take note of the prohibited items list that might slow the screening process, he added.
Most importantly, he asked passengers to “practice patience and empathy.” He emphasized the fact that TSA staff are not getting paid and are working in reduced capacity while dealing with irritated travelers. As the White House negotiates with Democratic lawmakers, it remains unclear how long the operations will remain shut down.
