TSA wait times up to 6 hours as ICE, other agents deployed to 14 airports

Updated on: March 24, 2026 / 9:33 AM EDT / CBS News
The agents are filling in for TSA officers in some places due to mass call-outs during the partial government shutdown that is keeping the officers from receiving their paychecks.

More than 3,400 TSA officers — nearly 12% of all TSA officers who were scheduled to work — called out on Sunday, which is the most since the start of the partial shutdown.

Amid severe staffing shortages, some travelers navigating George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston dealt with six-hour wait times.

Lines there snaked up three floors , starting in the basement's subway corridor before passing through the baggage claim area.

Security lines at Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport extended all the way outside the terminal.

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Across the country, some travelers expressed hope that federal agents might help ease the TSA bottleneck, but others were skeptical, including TSA officer and union representative Pascual Contreras.

"I don't believe that they're trained in a way that they can help us," Contreras said.

"I've seen them outside standing around, I don't know if they are doing anything."
President Trump has told federal agents not to wear masks while operating in airports.

He has also said they may soon be joined by National Guard troops if a deal to end the shutdown is not reached.

Nicole Sganga and Kaia Hubbard contributed to this report.