5-hour TSA lines reported at world’s busiest airport — as Duffy warns waits will get ‘much worse’ (Schumer Shutdown)

NY Post ^ | 3/23/26 | Ryan King

[Libloather]

WASHINGTON — Security lines at the world’s busiest airport stretched for five hours on Sunday as the TSA crisis escalated over the weekend.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy predicted that massive waits at airports across the country are about to “get much worse” due to the partial shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security.

Lines stretched around the building at Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport on Monday.

And TSA agents told travelers that the wait for some areas at the airport — which handled 106 million travelers last year — was five hours, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Nearly 400 TSA workers have already quit already during the DHS shutdown, and Duffy warned that even more will walk off the job if they miss their second full paycheck on Friday.

“I think you’re going to see more TSA agents as we come to Thursday, Friday, Saturday of next week, they’re going to quit, or they’re not going to show up,” Duffy told ABC News’ “This Week” on Sunday.

“I do think it’s going to get much worse, and as it gets worse, I think that puts pressure on the Congress to come to a resolution.”

DHS has been in a partial shutdown since Feb. 14, with Democrats filibustering a funding measure in the Senate until they get their demands for sweeping reforms to ICE and other immigration enforcement reforms.

Wait times at TSA security lines have exploded in the time since, with major travel hubs such as LaGuardia Airport and elsewhere blowing past three hours amid a shortage of workers.

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TOPICS: Business/Economy; Conspiracy; History; Local News
KEYWORDS: airports; dontbeatroll; dontblameschumer; duffy; lines; shutdown; tsa

[Libloather]

Wear a mask.

[DIRTYSECRET]

I ain’t flyin’. Of course if it’s to Europe I’d take an evening departure-all day at the airport.

[Bulwinkle]

Put all congressional Democrats,
their families, their employees and their employees families on the DO NOT FLY LIST until they fund TSA.

They are intentionally endangering air travel…NO FLY LIST

[ETCM]

I waited a little over an hour at San Diego airport on Sunday morning. The line was longer than I have ever seen, but it moved pretty quickly. I still had time to grab breakfast at the new Sapphire lounge. I really need to get global entry, as there was no line for tsa precheck.

[FoxInSocks]

I just heard that the most call-outs were at Houston, New Orleans, Atlanta, JFK in NYC. Baltimore and Chicago. The first three were around/over 40 percent of TSA calling out. Draw your own conclusions.

[SkyDancer]

Might as well drive ....

[Palio di Siena]

We have a connecting flight thru Atlanta this Saturday
But we will have already cleared TSA in Ft Myers
I think next time well just drive

[lee martell]

I thought ICE Agents would be at airports today in order to help the TSA Agents. That didn’t happen?

[Vigilanteman]

I can't help but wonder how quickly this blackmail would be neutralized if any airport was allowed to privatize security to replace TSA. In turn, TSA agents would be offered jobs that paid when they showed up to work. They might just have to change their uniforms and not be federal employees.

Every airline ticket has a security charge tacked on to it which could just be diverted to the private security contractor.

[faithhopecharity]

The Schumer Shutdown is a bloodless way of sabotaging America from within (just as are many of his actions, policies).

Our foreign enemies can see just how exceptionally weak we are as a nation what with all of these Enemies Within working so assiduously to weaken and rot out our defenses, economy, and liberties.

[Bartholomew Roberts]

I’m doing the exact opposite as you on Wednesday from CVG.

Flew out of RSW last Wednesday thru Terminal C with Global Entry. They had a lot of back and forths set up but my wait was lees than 10 minutes.

[frank ballenger]

This cannot be allowed to have GOP to blame.

The dirty Dems have to get the blame.

[Robert A Cook PE]

Personal experience at Atlanta ATL with TSA: Arrived shortly after 7:00 AM on a Sunday morning. Finished walking out of the TSA stops at 10:30.
By midday on a Sunday with clear weather, the wait to get through TSA at the ATL was over 5 hours long. (I was inside, waiting on a third plane schedule change, so I did not see that myself.)
Lady next to me had to get her group of high-schoolers to the TSA lines at 5:00 AM to be able to get on a 10:00 AM flight. (Yes, they made the flight, but her ticket was fouled up.)
Now - How long were the (deliberate) delays by TSA on a business Monday morning? Usually at least 1 hour if you arrive at 7:00 AM or 8:00 AM.
But today?

Oh, by the way, the local news is NOT mentioning Ossoff’s and Warnock’s (both reliable racist, sexist democrat panty-liner (er, party-liner) Senate votes

[cowboyusa]

President Trump just checkmated them! Best day of his Presidency so far!!

[No name given]

Exactly.

[cowboyusa]

All over X: Travlers are thanking Ice agents for reducing the lines. Checkmate. 🤣l. Hopefully the gloves are off now. NO METCY!

[Brian Griffin]

Where did Congress get the power to draft people into the army?

From the states.

States can require TSA agents to report to work and they can pay them.

[Midwesterner53]

At spm this afternoon, local tv showed no lines. Empty waiting areas.

[Brian Griffin]

§ 1542.105 Approval and amendments.

....

(b) Amendment requested by an airport operator. Except as provided in § 1542.103(c), an airport operator may submit a request to the designated official to amend its security program, as follows:

(1) The request for an amendment must be filed with the designated official at least 45 days before the date it proposes for the amendment to become effective, unless a shorter period is allowed by the designated official.

(2) Within 30 days after receiving a proposed amendment, the designated official, in writing, either approves or denies the request to amend.

(3) An amendment to a security program may be approved if the designated official determines that safety and the public interest will allow it, and the proposed amendment provides the level of security required under this part.

(4) Within 30 days after receiving a denial, the airport operator may petition the Administrator to reconsider the denial.

(5) Upon receipt of a petition for reconsideration, the designated official either approves the request to amend or transmits the petition within 30 days of receipt, together with any pertinent information, to the Administrator for reconsideration. The Administrator disposes of the petition within 30 days of receipt by either directing the designated official to approve the amendment or affirming the denial.

§ 1542.213 Training.

(a) Each airport operator must ensure that individuals performing security-related functions for the airport operator are briefed on the provisions of this part, Security Directives, and Information Circulars, and the security program, to the extent that such individuals need to know in order to perform their duties.

(b) An airport operator may not authorize any individual unescorted access to the secured area or SIDA, except as provided in § 1542.5, unless that individual has successfully completed training in accordance with TSA-approved curriculum specified in the security program. This curriculum must detail the methods of instruction, provide attendees with an opportunity to ask questions, and include at least the following topics—

(1) The unescorted access authority of the individual to enter and be present in various areas of the airport;

(2) Control, use, and display of airport-approved access and identification media;

(3) Escort and challenge procedures and the law enforcement support for these procedures;

(4) Security responsibilities as specified in § 1540.105;

(5) Restrictions on divulging sensitive security information as described in part 1520 of this chapter; and

(6) Any other topics specified in the security program.

https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/subtitle-B/chapter-XII/subchapter-C/part-1542

NOTE: Law is complex. That may not be all that matters.

[Lockbox]

What’s one of the first actions an enemy of America implement? Shut down our air space, stop air travel which is vital to business. 🤔🤔🤔🤔 So as the Romans said “who benefits”? Well Chucky how do you and the Libs benefit? You know during a war wouldn’t this action be considered treasonous?