Passengers stroll by means of the doorway of a TSA PreCheck in Terminal One at O’Hare Worldwide Airport Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2017, in Chicago. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune/Tribune Information Service by way of Getty Pictures)
Armando L. Sanchez | Chicago Tribune | Getty Pictures
The Division of Homeland Safety on Sunday suspended the TSA PreCheck and International Entry safety packages that velocity by means of airport safety checkpoints, citing a partial authorities shutdown.
The transfer comes because the U.S. Northeast braces for a huge winter storm that would disrupt airline flights for days.
The pause took impact at 6 a.m. ET on Sunday, DHS mentioned.
“TSA and CBP are prioritizing the final touring inhabitants at our airports and ports of entry and suspending courtesy and particular privilege escorts,” DHS Secretary Kristi Noem mentioned in an announcement.
TSA PreCheck has greater than 20 million energetic members, in keeping with an company rely in 2024.
“PreCheck members accounted for 34 % of passengers screened at airport checkpoints,” The New York Instances reported in August 2025, citing a TSA spokesman. This system is obtainable at greater than 200 U.S. airports, the newspaper famous.
The pause in TSA PreCheck and International Entry safety packages is a results of the partial authorities shutdown that started on Feb. 14, following congressional lawmakers’ failure to succeed in a deal to fund DHS.
Airways have canceled greater than 6,000 flights by means of Monday and waived cancellation and alter charges for airports spanning Virginia to Maine forward of the East Coast blizzard.
Journey business members sharply criticized the transfer, which comes simply months after final yr’s federal authorities shutdown affected air journey and dented bookings, in keeping with executives.
“A4A is deeply involved that TSA PreCheck and International Entry packages are being suspended and that the touring public shall be, as soon as once more, used as a political soccer amid one other authorities shutdown,” mentioned Airways for America CEO Chris Sununu. The group represents American Airways, Delta Air Traces, Southwest Airways, United Airways and different main carriers.
“The announcement was issued with extraordinarily brief discover to vacationers, giving them little time to plan accordingly, which is particularly troubling at the moment of file air journey,” he added.
The federal government shutdown within the fall, the longest ever, value the journey business and different sectors $6.1 billion, the group mentioned. These disruptions affected about 6 million vacationers.
The U.S. Journey Affiliation, which represents main resort chains and lots of different companies within the business, known as DHS’s transfer “extraordinarily disappointing.”
“We’re disgusted that over the past 90 days, Democrats and Republicans have used air visitors controllers, TSA, CBP and your complete journey expertise as a way to realize political ends,” it mentioned in an announcement.
