The partial shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security is disrupting airport operations nationwide, suspending expedited screening programs and intensifying a bitter funding standoff over immigration enforcement.
TSA PreCheck, Global Entry Suspended
DHS said it will temporarily suspend TSA PreCheck and Global Entry beginning Sunday at 6 a.m. Eastern after lawmakers failed to pass a funding measure before the agency’s budget expired Feb. 14, reported The Washington Post.
The programs, operated by the Transportation Security Administration and U.S. Customs and Border Protection, allow preapproved travelers to move more quickly through airport security and customs lines.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said the department is “making tough but necessary workforce and resource decisions” and prioritizing the “general traveling population.”
“This is the third time that Democrat politicians have shut down this department during the 119th Congress,” Noem said.
“Shutdowns have serious real world consequences … it endangers national security.”
The funding lapse stems from Democratic demands for new restrictions on immigration enforcement agencies, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Lawmakers are seeking requirements such as body cameras, limits on masks and new warrant standards after federal agents fatally shot two U.S. citizens last month in Minneapolis.
With Congress in recess, negotiations with the White House have not produced a deal.
DHS Funding Standoff After Partial Shutdown
Earlier, the DHS funding was paused after talks between the Donald Trump administration and Senate Democrats failed, triggering the second partial government shutdown of 2026.
Democrats demanded immigration enforcement changes following the killing of Alex Pretti by federal agents, but no deal was reached before lawmakers left for recess.
White House Border Czar Tom Homan rejected the demands, while Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) urged DHS to follow standard law enforcement rules.
Betting data showed over $1.6 million wagered on when funding would resume, with most predicting it would return before March 20, 2026, and expectations that the shutdown could extend beyond 20 days.
President Trump signed a $1.2 trillion funding package that ended a brief shutdown but funded most agencies through Sept. 30 while extending DHS funding only through Feb. 13, setting up further negotiations over immigration policy and agency operations.
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
Photo courtesy: David Tran Photo / Shutterstock.com
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