Passengers walk through the entrance of a TSA PreCheck in Terminal one at O'Hare International Airport Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2017, in Chicago. Credit - Armando L. Sanchez—Chicago Tribuyne/Tribune News Service
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said Sunday it would suspend two programs that allow millions of air travelers to expedite airport security, only to reverse course less than 12 hours later following an outcry from industry groups and passengers.
The DHS said Saturday evening it would suspend TSA PreCheck and Global Entry, blaming thepartial government shutdownthat has halted funding to the agency, sparked by a dispute between Democrats and Republicans over funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
TSA PreCheck had more than 20 million active membersas of 2024, while some 13 million people useGlobal Entry. Those who enroll in the programs enter a separate, often much shorter line at airport security.
Read more:DHS Shuts Down With No End In Sight Amid Impasse Over Immigration
DHS said that it would halt the programs from Sunday morning to "refocus Department personnel on the majority of travelers." Secretary Kristi Noem said: "Shutdowns have serious real world consequences, not just for the men and women of DHS and their families who go without a paycheck, but it endangers our national security."
But later Sunday, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) said PreCheck "remains operational with no change for the traveling public. As staffing constraints arise, TSA will evaluate on a case by case basis and adjust operations accordingly."
The TSA added that courtesy escorts provided for members of Congress have been suspended "to allow officers to focus on the mission of securing America's skies."
The suspension of Global Entry, a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) program, appeared to remain in place.
Industry backlash
The reversal followed an outcry from airline industry leaders, who said the short notice would cause chaos for passengers.
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Chris Sununu, CEO of Airlines for America, which represents American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Southwest Airlines, and United Airlines,saidhis organization was "deeply concerned that TSA PreCheck and Global Entry programs are being suspended and that the traveling public will be, once again, used as a political football amid another government shutdown."
"The announcement was issued with extremely short notice to travelers, giving them little time to plan accordingly, which is especially troubling at this time of record air travel," he added in a statement.
U.S. Travel Association President and CEO Geoff Freeman called the suspension "extremely disappointing," and argued that lawmakers have used travel personnel as a "means to achieve political ends."
A larger battle
The battle over airport lines comes as Democrats and Republicans continue to negotiate over how to end the partial shutdown over DHS funding.
Many DHS operations remain untouched during the shutdown, but agencies such as TSA are bearing the brunt of the impact asroughly 95 percentof its employees, about 61,000, have been forced to work without pay since the funding lapse began on Feb. 14 at midnight.
As part of what she said was an effort to "conserve resources" in response to the funding shortfall, Noem said that the Federal Emergency Management Agency would "halt all non-disaster related response to prioritize disasters," the same day that a major blizzard is set to hit the East Coast. As much as 20 inches of snow is expected to fall in New York City.
According to Noem and the DHS, FEMA will not focus on past disasters during the shutdown, but only those "requiring immediate emergency action to protect lives or prevent catastrophic damage."
The snowstorm has already affected airlines and airports, with more than 6,000 flight cancellations reported through Monday from Virginia to Maine ahead of the blizzard.
Rep. Bennie G. Thompson, a Mississippi Democrat and ranking Member of the Committee on Homeland Security, accused the Trump Administration of making travel "less safe.""This is Trump and Kristi Noem purposely punishing the American people and using them as pawns for their sadistic political games. TSA PreCheck and Global Entry REDUCE airport lines and ease the burden on DHS staff who are working without pay because of Trump's abuse of the Department and killing of American citizens," he said in astatement.
The partial shutdown continues as the White House said last week that Democrats and Republicans are "still pretty far apart" on DHS and ICE funding. The shutdown began after Democrats demanded changes toimmigration operationsand President Donald Trump's mass deportations in the aftermath of immigration officers shooting and killing two U.S. citizens during their crackdown inMinneapolis.
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