White House Deploys ICE to Help TSA as Security Wait Times Skyrocket

With security wait times still elevated and worsening at airports across the U.S., President Trump directed U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) personnel to airports over the weekend to help manage ongoing TSA staffing shortages.

The White House border czar Tom Homan told Sunday morning news programs that ICE officers will not be directly involved with security screening. Instead, they will be tasked with monitoring exits and other duties, allowing TSA officers to focus entirely on security checkpoints.

Homan said officers will be deployed to airports with the longest wait times. These have consistently been some of the busiest hubs in the country, including George Bush Intercontinental (IAH) in Houston, Miami International (MIA), John F. Kennedy International (JFK), and Dallas Fort Worth International (DFW).

On Monday morning, wait times at George Bush Intercontinental reached two and a half hours for passengers using regular security lanes. That is more than double the next longest wait time at Miami International, which was 45 minutes on Monday morning.

George Bush Intercontinental is one of many airports forced to consolidate security operations due to the TSA staffing shortage. Passengers traveling through that airport are only able to go through standard security at Terminals A and E, and TSA PreCheck at Terminals A and C. The entire TSA checkpoint at Terminal D is closed.

Similar situations are unfolding at many of the nation’s airports experiencing significant employee callouts. While the nationwide callout rate is around 10%, it has exceeded 40% at airports like George Bush Intercontinental. Rates are also above 30% at JFK, Minneapolis-St. Paul International (MSP), and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International (ATL), and more than 20% at Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall (BWI), Pittsburgh International (PIT), Philadelphia International (PHL), and Chicago Midway International (MDW).

Again, just like the last shutdown, the onus is on Congress to pass a bill to fund the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), or to fund the TSA separately. While several bills have been introduced, none of them have yet to garner enough support in Congress, or the White House, to pass.

U.S. Travel continued to campaign against congressional inaction, sounding the alarm about the upcoming two-week recess scheduled to begin Friday.

“Come Friday, if Congress fails to do its job and pass a DHS funding bill, they’ll head to the airports, get escorted to the front of the security line, and be screened by the very TSA officers they failed to pay. Meanwhile, millions of Americans will arrive at airports over the next three weeks to face hours-long waits and endless frustration,” U.S. Travel said in a statement.

Airline Waivers

As the situation continues to drag on, several major carriers are reintroducing flexibility measures to prevent passengers from being stranded. United and Delta Air Lines have reportedly reinstated pandemic-era policies, allowing for same-day flight swaps at no additional cost for certain travelers. These “wait time waivers” are designed to help passengers move to later departures if they arrive at the terminal and realize the security lines will make them miss their flight. 

Some airlines are even experimenting with allowing business-class passengers and top-tier loyalty members to use crew entrances or dedicated expedited lanes at the most severely impacted terminals.

Rather than a universal waiver, airlines are managing the crisis through site-specific travel alerts. If an airport is under an active alert, passengers generally gain more leeway to adjust their plans.

American Airlines has issued alerts for major hubs, including John F. Kennedy International (JFK) and Newark Liberty International (EWR), allowing travelers to rebook without change fees if travel is completed within a one-year window.

United Airlines issued a specific waiver for Denver International (DEN) following a power outage that compounded existing TSA delays. United is currently waiving change fees and fare differences for affected travelers at several key locations.

Delta Air Lines continues to maintain active advisories for its primary hubs, specifically Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International (ATL) and Minneapolis-St. Paul International (MSP), where TSA call-out rates remain among the highest in the country.