Congressional leaders are working toward a compromise that could resolve the Department of Homeland Security funding crisis by providing paychecks to Transportation Security Administration employees while leaving out immigration enforcement operations that sparked the original disagreement.
The potential agreement comes as travelers nationwide face grueling security checkpoint delays, with some major airports reporting wait times stretching beyond four hours due to widespread TSA staffing shortages.
Markwayne Mullin, who received Senate confirmation Monday as the new DHS secretary, now oversees the troubled department. Mullin has positioned himself as someone who can bring stability, stating his objective would be removing the department from negative headlines.
Travel chaos continued Tuesday despite the Trump administration’s decision to deploy immigration officers at airport security areas. Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport reported standard checkpoint delays of three and a half to four hours during morning hours. Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International recommended passengers plan for four-hour arrival windows for both domestic and international departures.
Baltimore-Washington International told travelers to come three hours early, acknowledging that while current delays were “minimal,” conditions could deteriorate quickly.
Weeks without paychecks have driven numerous TSA employees to either call in sick or abandon their positions entirely due to financial hardship. This workforce crisis has compelled airports to temporarily shut down security lanes, creating unpredictable and often extreme waiting periods.
However, some facilities showed improvement, with Los Angeles International and Detroit Metro Airport displaying average delays of only minutes on their digital tracking systems early Tuesday.
While federal law enforcement maintains a standard presence at international terminals through Customs and Border Protection screenings and Homeland Security Investigation units, immigration agents typically stay away from TSA domestic checkpoints.
Associated Press reporters documented ICE personnel walking through terminals and positioning themselves near passenger queues Monday at multiple locations: Hartsfield-Jackson in Atlanta, John F. Kennedy in New York, Newark Liberty in New Jersey, George Bush Intercontinental in Houston, and Louis Armstrong near New Orleans.
Additional airports, including Phoenix’s Sky Harbor International, verified they would host ICE deployments. Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson announced his administration was tracking the federal officer placements at O’Hare International.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune of South Dakota expressed optimism about the negotiations, telling reporters: “All I can say is that the discussions have been very positive and productive, and hopefully headed in the right direction.”
Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer echoed the collaborative tone late Monday evening, stating: “Both sides are working in a serious way.”
The legislative discussions center on funding most Homeland Security operations, including paying TSA airport personnel currently working without compensation, while setting aside ICE enforcement and deportation activities that created the initial standoff.
Progress accelerated after Republican senators visited the White House Monday evening for discussions with President Trump. Lawmakers indicated negotiators planned to continue working overnight to finalize details and prepare written proposals for review during Tuesday’s party caucus meetings.
