Airport delays continue as DHS shutdown drags on, TSA back pay expected
The partial shutdown is now on day 45 — the longest on record.
(NBC)- Travelers across the country are facing long and worsening airport security lines as the Department of Homeland Security funding standoff stretches into a record-setting shutdown.
At Philadelphia International Airport, passengers say delays are growing throughout the day.
“Throughout the day, I can see it getting longer and more stressful for people,” one traveler said.
The disruptions mirror the ongoing gridlock on Capitol Hill, where lawmakers left Washington without reaching a deal to fund DHS. The partial shutdown is now on day 45 — the longest on record.
Despite the Senate unanimously passing a funding bill for most of DHS, disagreements over immigration enforcement — specifically ICE and Border Patrol — have stalled progress.
Jim Himes criticized House Republicans for rejecting the Senate plan.
“Let’s fund everybody else, and let’s deal with this thorny issue about ICE,” Himes said.
House Republicans instead passed a short-term measure that includes immigration enforcement funding, arguing it is critical for national security.
“This is a dangerous time, and we need full Homeland Security,” said Andy Barr.
That proposal has stalled in the Senate, prolonging the impasse.
Meanwhile, there may be some relief for TSA workers, many of whom have called out in record numbers. President Donald Trump has signed an order aimed at providing back pay, which could begin arriving as soon as today or tomorrow.
“We’re gonna pay them for as long as we have to,” Trump said.
Still, questions remain about staffing levels moving forward. Border Czar Tom Homan suggested ICE agents could continue assisting at airports depending on how many TSA workers return.
“It depends how many TSA agents come back to work… how many have actually quit,” Homan said.
Senate Republican leadership says negotiations with Democrats are ongoing, but immigration policy remains the key sticking point.
