WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Chaos at airports across the United States is beginning to ease as TSA officers receive long-overdue pay amid the Department of Homeland Security Shutdown. Now in its 46th day, the DHS Shutdown has led to weeks of strain on Americans across the country.
President Donald Trump signed an order declaring a national emergency to pay TSA officers, with their first paychecks in weeks reaching workers on Monday, already reducing absenteeism and improving staffing levels.
To ease the burden on TSA personnel, Trump ordered the deployment of ICE officers to major airports, where they are assisting with crowd control, logistics, entrance and exit security, and identity verification.
Media outlets are reporting measurable improvements across U.S. airports.
Wait times at some TSA security bottlenecks, such as the airport checkpoints in Atlanta and Houston, reportedly improved significantly on Monday.
'Abysmal wait times at airports shrank Monday morning as tens of thousands of Transportation Security Administration workers started getting back pay after more than a month without income - apparently prompting fewer to call out,' CNN reported.
'Early morning travelers reported another round of long lines at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport on Monday, but, compared to Sunday, lines moved faster than the ones that had snarled the airport in previous weeks,' another report said.
After a congested and contentious spring break weekend, with some passengers stuck in queues for four or five hours, security wait times at BWI Marshall Airport have stabilized going into the workweek, reports WBAL-TV.
While President Trump's actions are providing critical short-term relief, the underlying crisis created by Democrats persists as tens of thousands of other DHS workers continue to go without pay, the White House said.
The White House urged Democrats in Congress 'to immediately end their shutdown, pass responsible funding legislation, and stop putting political demands over the safety, security, and livelihoods of the American people.'
Department of Homeland Security is largely shut down because Congress and the President failed to pass the legislation necessary to keep it open and operating in current Fiscal Year 2026 as lawmakers in Washington continue to fight over funding the Department.
On Sunday, the partial US government shutdown reached 44 days, the longest in U.S. history.
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