The U.S. government has remained in a 40+ day partial shutdown due to partisan conflict over funding for the Department of Homeland Security. Congress is in charge of passing 12 spending bills before the deadline for each fiscal year, but disagreements lingered on how to support the DHS, and funding expired on February 13th as Congress remained in gridlock. President Trump’s crackdown on illegal immigration has stemmed from what some view as a reckless use of anti-immigration agency ICE, and many congressmen have refused to support the DHS without reforms that restrict its power.
As the Senate is at a stalemate, it is public workers that bear the burden. The Transportation Security Administration is also a part of the DHS. Employees that would normally check bags at airports or wave people through metal detectors have been left without pay. As of late March, over 400 TSA employees have resigned and many have been absent from work, leading to staff shortages and long wait lines in large airports. The most affected include Houston Hobby Airport and Louis Armstrong New Orleans International, which have seen wait times extending up to a couple hours. However, both of these have faced more severe TSA losses than airports, and the greater number of U.S. airports seem to be safe, with the largest ones in New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago only reporting slightly longer wait times.
Fortunately at Milwaukee Mitchell International, things seem to be running smoothly. Local news covering the spring break exodus have talked to airport officials, who have reported that most of their TSA staff have kept working amidst the shutdown. There have been no sightings of ICE agents either, which may support that Mitchell is still fully staffed.
The Trump Administration has deployed ICE agents to various airports facing TSA shortages, reportedly to assist security and direct fliers. They have been most present in Houston, New Orleans, and several other large airports. This move has led to mixed reactions, with some feeling comfortable about the increased security efficiency and others feeling uneasy about ICE agents’ controversial reputation.
Thankfully, this situation may soon come to a close. As of early Friday, March 27, a package funding the DHS with the exception of immigration control was approved by the Senate. While it still needs to go through the House of Representatives, this could signal a sigh of relief for both passengers and airport employees.
