Command Palette

Search for a command to run...

Browse

DHS Reverses TSA PreCheck Suspension Amid Nor’easter and Shutdown Crisis

DHS Reverses TSA PreCheck Suspension Amid Nor’easter and Shutdown Crisis
View gallery

The Department of Homeland Security reversed plans to suspend TSA PreCheck on Sunday, keeping expedited screening in place for more than 20 million enrolled travelers even as a powerful nor’easter and a partial government shutdown snarled air travel nationwide.cnn +1 Global Entry remains largely paused, and more than 8,000 flights were canceled across Sunday and Monday as the storm swept the Northeast.abc7chicago +1

DHS had said PreCheck and Global Entry would be halted starting Sunday at 6 a.m. ET to reassign staff during a funding lapse that began February 14, prompting warnings of airport “chaos” from airlines and travel groups.kornradio +1 Hours later, the Transportation Security Administration said “TSA PreCheck remains operational with no change for the traveling public,” a sharp public contradiction that left travelers and airports scrambling for clarity.cnn +1

How a Shutdown Fight and a Nor’easter Collided at U.S. Airports

The initial shutdown-driven decision would have paused two of the country’s most widely used trusted‑traveler programs, which together cover well over 30 million people.aol DHS Secretary Kristi Noem framed the suspensions as “tough but necessary workforce and resource decisions” to refocus personnel on standard screening and core security missions while tens of thousands of TSA employees worked without pay.kornradio +1

On the ground, implementation was uneven. Some airports, including Chicago O’Hare and Los Angeles International, saw PreCheck lanes continue operating past the announced cutoff time, while others reported longer general-security lines and confused passengers unsure which lanes they could use.abc7chicago +1 The nor’easter compounded the disruption: by Monday, data from FlightAware cited in multiple outlets showed roughly 4,800 cancellations for that day alone and more than 8,000 across Sunday and Monday as airlines scrubbed flights preemptively.abc7chicago +1

PreCheck Restored, Global Entry Still Paused

By Sunday afternoon, after urgent lobbying from airlines and travel industry groups, DHS backed off the PreCheck halt but left Global Entry suspended, affecting an estimated 12–13 million enrollees returning from international trips.aol Airlines for America, representing major U.S. carriers, said it was “deeply concerned that TSA PreCheck and Global Entry programs are being suspended and that the traveling public will be, once again, used as a political football amid another government shutdown.”aol

The ongoing Global Entry pause is expected to lengthen customs lines at busy international gateways, even as TSA maintains domestic screening relief for PreCheck members.aol DHS also confirmed it would halt courtesy escorts and certain special-access privileges, including some for members of Congress, to free up frontline security staff.kornradio TSA cautioned it may still adjust local PreCheck operations if staffing shortages worsen at particular airports.spokesman +1

The Bigger Picture

The rapid announcement and reversal underscored how quickly a funding standoff in Washington can ripple into everyday travel, particularly when layered onto a major winter storm and record passenger volumes.cnn +1 With DHS still unfunded and Global Entry on hold, travelers face the prospect of more ad hoc changes if the shutdown drags on, and airlines warn that any future attempt to curtail PreCheck during peak travel could swiftly translate into longer lines, missed connections, and broader network strain.