DHS Shutdown Forces TSA to Warn Houston and New Orleans Spring‑Break Travelers of 2–3 Hour Security Delays
A partial lapse in Department of Homeland Security funding since Feb. 14 has prompted TSA warnings of 2–3 hour security delays for spring‑break travelers, with Houston’s William P. Hobby Airport urging passengers to arrive 4–5 hours early after waits of about three hours while nearby George Bush Intercontinental saw only minutes‑long lines. Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport warned of up to two‑hour waits and urged arriving at least three hours early; TSA agents are working without pay and industry and political leaders are pressuring Congress and the administration to end the shutdown amid disputes over funding terms.
📌 Key Facts
- The Department of Homeland Security has been in a partial shutdown since Feb. 14, and officials directly link current TSA security checkpoint delays to that shutdown.
- TSA agents are working without pay during the shutdown.
- Democratic lawmakers say they will not fund DHS without new immigration‑enforcement restrictions tied to the Minneapolis shootings, contributing to the political impasse.
- Airlines for America CEO Chris Sununu publicly urged Congress and the Trump administration to end the DHS shutdown, saying TSA staff are being used as political leverage.
- Local impacts vary: Houston’s William P. Hobby Airport progressively escalated public guidance on X, asking travelers to arrive 4–5 hours early; Hobby’s standard security wait reached about three hours Sunday evening while nearby George Bush Intercontinental had waits of only a few minutes.
- Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport warned of waits up to two hours, urged passengers to arrive at least three hours early, and expected similar delays through the coming week.
- On‑the‑ground anecdote: a family that arrived three hours early at Hobby still missed its original flight after waiting roughly 3½ hours in line and had to rebook.
📊 Relevant Data
Alex Pretti and Renee Good, the victims in the Minneapolis shootings, were both White U.S. citizens and protesters killed by federal immigration agents during enforcement operations in January 2026.
As Officials Disparage Pretti and Good, Families of Black People Killed by Police Have Deja Vu — U.S. News & World Report
In early 2026, there were at least nine deaths related to U.S. immigration law enforcement, including the fatal shootings of Alex Pretti and Renee Nicole Good by ICE agents.
US witnessed many ICE-related deaths in 2026. Here are their stories — Al Jazeera
In 2025, Minnesota experienced a net population gain of 33,000 people (0.6% increase to 5.83 million), with international migration contributing a net increase of 12,500 individuals, accounting for about 38% of the total growth.
Minnesota population growth slows in 2025 but remains strong — Fort Wayne Business Weekly
Minnesota's foreign-born population grew to nearly 490,000 residents in 2023, comprising 8.6% of the state's total population, with immigration becoming the primary driver of population change from 2020 to 2024.
The Growth and Impact of Minnesota's Foreign-Born Workforce — Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development
In 2025, there were 32 deaths in ICE custody, the highest number in over two decades, occurring amid a ramp-up in immigration enforcement and record detentions.
2025 was ICE's deadliest year in two decades. Here are the 32 people who died in its custody — The Guardian
📰 Source Timeline (2)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
- Confirms that the Department of Homeland Security has been in a partial shutdown since February 14 and directly links current TSA delays to that shutdown.
- Documents that Houston’s William P. Hobby Airport progressively escalated its public guidance on X until it was asking travelers to arrive 4–5 hours before flights due to the shutdown’s impact on TSA screening.
- Reports that Hobby’s standard security wait time reached about three hours Sunday evening, while George Bush Intercontinental’s waits were only a few minutes, underscoring uneven local impact.
- Details that Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport is warning of waits up to two hours and urging passengers to arrive at least three hours early, expecting similar delays through the coming week.
- Includes on‑the‑ground anecdote of a family that arrived three hours early at Hobby, still missed its original flight after waiting roughly 3½ hours in line, and had to rebook.
- Quotes Airlines for America CEO Chris Sununu publicly pressing Congress and the Trump administration to end the DHS shutdown, arguing TSA staff are being used as political leverage.
- Notes that TSA agents are working without pay during the shutdown and that Democratic lawmakers say they will not fund DHS without new immigration‑enforcement restrictions tied to Minneapolis shootings.