TSA Announces Then Retracts Closure of Pre-Check for Air Travelers

What Happened?

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) announced the closure of the pre-check security service for air travelers in the United States, then hours later retracted the announcement.

On Sunday a TSA spokesman said, ‘At this time, TSA pre-check remains operational with no change for the traveling public.’ That statement came just hours after TSA had issued a previous statement saying pre-check would be closed due to the partial shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). 

TSA also issued a statement saying that if the partial DHS shutdown continues, there could be additional delays and flight disruptions for air travelers. 

Why it Matters

Congress refused to pass a new funding bill for DHS due to a dispute over the tactics used by Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE), which many lawmakers feel have been too aggressive.

Since TSA is part of DHS, the funding lapse meant that thousands of TSA employees have been working without pay since funding expired last week. Many of those employees have threatened to stop coming to work, and if they do, that could leave TSA short-staffed at airport security checkpoints nationwide. 

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For air travelers, the conflicting statements only added to anxiety and confusion over what they can expect at airports in the United States. Pre-check allows air travelers to go through much shorter lines at airports by submitting information to TSA before their flight day. If pre-check closed, millions of passengers would be added to standard security checkpoint lines at airports across the U.S., likely creating significantly longer wait times for all air travelers.

DHS offered no explanations for the conflicting announcements, leaving travelers to wonder whether pre-check or any other security services at U.S. airports will be affected in the coming weeks. Since Congress left Washington, D.C., without funding DHS, it could be weeks before a new funding bill is passed. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson said lawmakers would return for a vote to pass a new bill if an agreement is reached, but thus far, Democrats and Republicans remain far apart.

Congressional Democrats want new restrictions placed on ICE agents, specifically a requirement that ICE agents obtain a judicial warrant and not an administrative warrant before detaining suspected illegal immigrants.

Republicans argue the judicial warrant requirement would slow down deportation efforts to a crawl, but Democrats counter that the due process clause of the Constitution requires a judicial warrant regardless of any inconveniences for ICE or DHS.

How it Affects You

For now, TSA pre-check remains in operation, so air travelers who use the service can still skip the regular security line at U.S. airports. But the conflicting statements by DHS officials point to internal confusion within the organization as to how to proceed as the funding lapse drags on.

Without any new agreements in Congress or further guidance from the White House, the likelihood of delays or disruptions faced by air travelers in the U.S. is likely to increase in the next few weeks.

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