Republicans Use Airport Delays as Part of New Public Push for Homeland Security Funding

The shutdown at the Department of Homeland Security, which began last month after Democrats demanded reforms at immigration enforcement agencies, is again running into the one thing which often causes shutdowns to end — airport delays. On Sunday, hourslong delays at major airports led Republicans to begin calling on their colleagues to re-open the department. Senate Democrats blocked funding for DHS last month after they tried to negotiate a deal with the White House on reforms at the DHS agencies charged with arresting and deporting migrants. The deportations have continued unabated thanks to additional funds sent to ICE last year as part of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. While taking steps to keep airlines running smoothly amid the shutdown, government officials are now struggling to make sure airports are serving customers well. Security officials missed their first full paycheck last week, leading some TSA agents to use their unpaid time off. During the last shutdown, many agents took additional jobs as food delivery workers or rideshare drivers. On Sunday, security wait times at some of the busiest airports in the United States — including Atlanta and Houston — increased dramatically. At one point, Houston’s main airport announced that TSA wait times were expected to exceed three hours. At the New Orleans airport, the security line stretched back into a parking garage. The wait times as of Monday afternoon are not as bad as they were over the weekend, however. Passengers traveling through the New Orleans’ airport are waiting for an average of 31 minutes, for example, while travelers at Portland, Maine’s international airport are waiting about 20 minutes. Republicans began hammering Democrats for the delays on Sunday, which are set to expand quickly as more TSA agents take time off in order to bring in some kind of income. Senator Katie Britt, who is chairwoman of the subcommittee which writes the DHS budget, noted that the shutdown will have no impact on deportation operations. “Daily reminder that Democrats blocked funding for HOMELAND SECURITY including the Coast Guard, Secret Service, and TSA,” Ms. Britt wrote Monday. “ICE and CBP are still funded and will continue to deport criminal illegal aliens.”“Americans are now missing their flights because of the Democrats shutdown of DHS. Their political stunt is forcing patriotic TSA officers to work without pay — leading to financial hardship, absences, and crippling staffing shortages,” the Department of Homeland Security’s official X account wrote. The White House’s “rapid response” account on X shared a news clip on Monday from a Phoenix station, Fox10. In it, Phoenix-based TSA worker Jovan Petkovich said the situation is not sustainable. “We’re fed up. We’ve had enough. This is the third shutdown in a matter of 6 months,” Mr. Petkovich said. “How many delays is it? How many flight attendants are being impacted by this because of their flights either being delayed or being cancelled out? That means they’re not getting paid.”“This chaos is a direct result of Democrats and their refusal to fund DHS,” the TSA said Monday. “Stop holding our national security and everyday Americans hostage!”The White House says that more than 100,000 DHS employees are now missing paychecks because of the shutdown, which includes agencies tasked with responding to natural disasters and other national security crises. “Democrats have cut off resources and funding for FEMA, the U.S. Coast Guard, and thousands of federal law enforcement officers — jeopardizing America’s border security, maritime safety, and ability to respond to emergencies,” the White House said in a statement. The union which represents TSA workers, the American Federation of Government Employees, say it is not sustainable for their members to be working without pay, especially after the shutdown last fall which lasted for more than 40 days. “AFGE members are tired of being forced on this roller coaster every time their elected officials fail to do their jobs,” the union said in a statement, asking that Congress pass a bill to at least keep employees paid. “Government shutdowns are harmful to federal employees, their families, and our economy. No employees should have to go without a paycheck on payday. It is unacceptable, unjust, and un-American.”Despite knowing that these delays would come, and despite national security concerns amid the war with Iran, the overwhelming majority of Democrats remain opposed to funding DHS without substantive reforms at ICE and other immigration enforcement agencies. Last month, nearly two dozen Democrats voted with Republicans to fund DHS for the remainder of the fiscal year, which ends September 30. Hoping that he could put additional political pressure on House Democrats, Speaker Mike Johnson put the bill up for a vote again this past week. This time, just four Democrats voted for the legislation, all of whom represent district President Trump won in 2024.

Republicans Use Airport Delays as Part of New Public Push for Homeland Security Funding

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