TSA Nightmare: The Still-Unfriendly Skies

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by MARK POWELL

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“Fly the friendly skies,” an airline once famously urged in its slogan. The skies are still friendly enough, but these days, the ground isn’t. At least in places with major airports.

Getting there is half the fun, we’re told. Unless you’re going by air. In that case, all bets are off.

In case you haven’t been marking off the days on your calendar, today (Monday, March 30, 2026) is Day 45 of the ongoing partial government shutdown, now the longest in U.S. history. All of Uncle Sam’s many offshoots are open for business except the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Funding for it ran out on February 14. And since the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), the folks charged with screening passengers to keep air travel safety, falls under it, the headaches are many.

For the first four weeks or so, most TSA agents hung in and continued doing their job, even without pay. But after a full month with a paycheck, that “play through the pain” approach wore thin. Agents, especially those in the nation’s largest and busiest airports, began calling in sick. Wait times to get through security exploded. By mid-March, more than half of all TSA agents in some cities had gone AWOL. Another 500 had quit.

President Donald Trump deployed Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents to pinch hit for the TSA no-shows a week ago. They were sent to roughly fourteen airports in places like New York, Atlanta, and Houston. 

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So, here we are one week later. How are things now?

Spotty. It all depends on which airport you’re using. Consider two that handle a substantial number of South Carolina fliers every day. The situation there is, with apologies to Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Airports.

Consider Charlotte Douglas International Airport just across the state line in North Carolina. While things do fluctuate, it’s nowhere near the nightmare conditions elsewhere. Airport officials recommend that travelers arrive two to three hours early, just in case. Some people report their experience wasn’t anywhere near that bad.

“Security was a breeze,” one said. “In fact, the line waiting to get to the Chick-fil-A counter was way longer.” 

“It took a few minutes longer than usual, but nothing to complain about,” another added.

Then there’s Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International to the west.

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“My advice: bring a sleeping bag and lots of snacks. You’ll probably need them,” a Palmetto resident groused.

Delays of four hours or even longer are being reported. Even at times of the day when passenger volume is lowest, wait times approaching an hour are being reported.

Atlanta is among the dozen-plus places where those ICE agents are stationed. How’s that working?

“We saw them wandering around the corridors, looking either lost or like they were hiding from duty,” one traveler said without hiding his contempt. “If Washington thinks they’re doing a good job, then Washington should come down here and see them in action. Or rather, see their lack of action.”

Another flier was more charitable.

“They’re trying their best, they noted. “I guess that counts for something. But remember, they’re not trained to do this kind of stuff. You can’t really blame them.”

So, just who is to blame? The fault lies squarely at the feet of Congress…

In a classic case of Nero fiddling while Rome burned, Democrats and Republicans on both sides of Capitol Hill remain deadlocked in what has the potential to become one of the nation’s most prolonged pissing matches of all times.

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The sticking point for Democrats is ICE and the Border Patrol, the key players in Trump’s get-tough policies on illegal immigrants. Demands from that side of the aisle range from imposing new operational restrictions to severe budget cuts to even abolishing both agencies altogether.   

Early Friday morning, the Senate approved a plan to fund all of DHS except ICE and the Border Patrol and sent it to the House. Then, late Friday night, the House brushed aside the measure and passed its own bill to fund DHS for another two months, thereby letting Congress practice its forte: kicking the can down the road.

Senators are already proclaiming the House proposal “dead on arrival” in the upper chamber.

While all that was going on, Trump announced in a Truth Social post last Thursday that he’s found a way to start paying TSA workers again. 

“Because the Democrats have recklessly created a true national crisis, I am using my authorities under the law to protect our great country, as I always will do,” Trump said.

However, the details of just how exactly that would work remain to be seen.

Then there are the political implications to all this.

“With the midterm elections looming, neither side wants to be seen as blinking first,” a national political strategist told us. “That would make them lose face with their respective bases. And neither can afford to do that with voting now six months off. So, each party is digging in its heels and blaming the other.”   

Thus, the impasse and the egregious security lines both remain as we head into the new month. And don’t look for an end to the gridlock anytime soon. Congress began its two-week Easter break on Friday. Senators and representatives won’t return to work until mid-April.

And what about all the weary fliers out there? Expect more of the same for the near future. If your travel plans take you via smaller airports, you should be fine, with a few hiccups here and there.

But if you must pass through a major airport, Heaven help your soul.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR…

J. Mark Powell is an award-winning former TV journalist, government communications veteran, and a political consultant. He is also an author and an avid Civil War enthusiast. Got a tip or a story idea for Mark? Email him at mark@fitsnews.com.

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