by Nahlah Abdur-Rahman
February 22, 2026
The Division of Homeland Safety retracted the assertion saying the closure of TSA PreCheck and World Entry safety traces.
The Division of Homeland Safety has retracted its assertion on pausing TSA PreCheck because the partial authorities shutdown enters one other week.
DHS alarmed many frequent flyers and Democratic lawmakers with its earlier assertion that TSA PreCheck would come to a halt. With TSA brokers having to work with out pay, the Division issued that safety traces, which provide registered flyers a faster method by the airport, would take a success.
Nonetheless, NPR studies that the information was shortly retracted as DHS issued an replace. As an alternative, they famous that TSA PreCheck would stay operational, however may face changes because the shutdown continues.
“As staffing constraints come up, TSA will consider on a case-by-case foundation and regulate operations accordingly,” the company stated.
Upon the shutdown’s official begin Feb. 14, all companies below the DHS have taken a success with their budgets unapproved for the yr. Nonetheless, one company specifically is the primary level of rivalry amongst lawmakers: the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Given the DHS’s dealing with and rollout of ICE raids and brokers throughout U.S. cities, Democratic lawmakers have refused to allocate extra funding to the company, whereas additionally pushing for sure calls for. This contains extra accountability from ICE brokers, in addition to their public identification, particularly within the wake of two U.S. residents’ deaths at ICE demonstrations.
Whereas lawmakers continued to argue on each side of the aisle, air vacationers could start to see the difficulty impression their airport expertise. An expanded choice of TSA PreCheck and World Entry additionally confronted restraints amid the federal pause. Nonetheless, DHS didn’t disclose if World Entry, which helps vacationers going and getting back from worldwide journeys, would additionally nonetheless bear any closures.
Earlier than clarifying the destiny of TSA PreCheck, the DHS famous that “emergency measures” would happen because the important company stays open regardless of the funding difficulty. These measures initially included “ending” these safety lanes to make sure checkpoints for almost all of vacationers remained useful.
Backlash over the matter, which might have stunted the packages that enormously decreased safety checkpoint waits, appeared to have led the DHS to make a reversal.
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