Updated on: March 23, 2026 / 9:52 PM EDT
Nearly 40% of TSA employees at George Bush Intercontinental Airport called out as a partial government shutdown entered its sixth week, producing severe security-line delays across the airport.
On Monday the security queue in Terminal A snaked over three levels and into the airport’s underground train corridor. The line started inside the terminal, flowed through the subway passage past baggage claim and then climbed into the ticketing area, creating a slow, confusing route travelers described as inefficient.
Only two of the airport’s five terminals had TSA staff on duty. The airport warned that waits could top four hours; some passengers in Terminal A reported being in line for five or six hours. Terminal E moved somewhat faster, but travelers in both staffed terminals said delays still exceeded three hours. PreCheck and CLEAR lanes were closed, forcing everyone into the same congested lines.
To supplement TSA staffing, the administration deployed ICE agents to airports facing the worst shortages. The Department of Homeland Security did not confirm specific locations for operational security reasons, but White House border official Tom Homan said ICE personnel are at 14 U.S. airports. CBS News observed about two dozen ICE officers at George Bush Intercontinental on Monday, most identified as ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations and positioned at security lines alongside Houston police, emergency management staff and airport employees.
ICE officers were seen directing passengers and trying to keep lines moving while TSA staff continued to handle ID checks and operate screening machines. An automated announcement throughout the airport warned that TSA waits exceeded four hours and urged travelers with imminent departures to contact their airlines for rebooking.
Some passengers did rebook after seeing the lines. One woman said she cried after missing a flight to Philadelphia while still in line; a gate agent told her she was one of roughly 40 passengers who missed that leg. Another passenger said he planned to sleep at the airport the night before his flight to ensure he would be able to board.
Travelers also reported limited access to food during long waits and difficulties managing infants and small children in the crowded queue. The line did not follow an ADA-compliant route; passengers using wheelchairs were directed to a separate area. Airport staff distributed water but few other supplies were available.
Frustration among travelers was high. Most people interviewed declined to turn the situation into partisan finger-pointing and instead urged federal leaders to resolve the staffing crisis so normal operations could resume.