(UNITED STATES) — U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced plans on February 22, 2026, to suspend TSA PreCheck and Global Entry starting at 6 a.m. ET on February 23, then reversed the TSA PreCheck suspension later that day as a partial government shutdown stretched into a second week.
Global Entry suspensions took effect at 6 a.m. ET on February 23 at major U.S. airports including Boston Logan International and Austin-Bergstrom International, as well as Vancouver International Airport in Canada, pushing members into standard passport control lines.
TSA PreCheck lanes remain fully operational nationwide with no changes for travelers, as TSA spokespeople said they would evaluate staffing constraints case-by-case.
The shifting guidance created confusion for travelers trying to plan near-term trips, because the disruption targets travel facilitation rather than visa rules or an entry ban.
TSA PreCheck provides expedited airport security screening for pre-approved travelers, letting passengers move through screening faster in dedicated lanes.
Global Entry provides expedited U.S. Customs and Border Protection clearance for low-risk international travelers arriving in the United States, typically reducing time spent at passport control and customs processing.
Both programs rely on background vetting, enrollment processing, and, in Global Entry’s case, interview appointments that feed a steady pipeline of approvals.
During a shutdown, federal agencies operate with limited staffing and funding resources, and DHS prepared contingency measures to maintain essential security operations while managing what it described as non-critical services.
DHS explored redirecting personnel normally assigned to expedited traveler programs toward essential airport and border security duties, prioritizing core transportation security and immigration inspection functions for the broader traveling public.
Trusted traveler programs also depend on staffing to operate dedicated lanes and sustain back-office systems support, making them vulnerable when agencies reassign personnel during funding gaps.
Noem framed the move as a consequence of the budget impasse, saying, “Shutdowns have serious real world consequences, not just for the men and women of DHS and their families who go without a paycheck, but it endangers our national security,” and she blamed Democrats.
The shutdown began February 14, 2026, and the funding dispute marked the third affecting DHS in the 119th Congress, triggered by disputes over President Trump’s immigration crackdown after Democrats rejected a bipartisan funding plan.
Backlash from airlines, airports, and lawmakers followed quickly, focusing on the risk of compounding bottlenecks at already crowded checkpoints if TSA PreCheck lanes stopped functioning.
Democratic Rep. Bennie Thompson, ranking member of the House Homeland Security Committee, called the plan “Trump and Kristi Noem purposely punishing the American people and using them as pawns for their sadistic political games,” and he argued the programs reduce lines for unpaid DHS staff.
U.S. Travel Association President and CEO Geoff Freeman welcomed keeping PreCheck open, saying it avoided a “crisis of its own making.”
For travelers at U.S. airports, the most immediate practical effect has centered on whether expedited lanes and expedited arrivals processing remain available at the moment they reach a checkpoint.
TSA PreCheck remains open at all airports, and about 20 million members, based on 2024 data, remain unaffected by the reversal.
Midday Sunday, TSA app data showed lines under 15 minutes at most sites, though DHS and TSA emphasized staffing constraints could still require case-by-case adjustments.
Global Entry remains suspended indefinitely while the shutdown continues, forcing members into standard lines and removing a time-saving feature many frequent international travelers use to manage tight connections.
One traveler reported 30 minutes versus usual <5, a contrast that illustrates how quickly arrival times can widen when Global Entry kiosks or lanes are unavailable.
Global Entry also overlaps with TSA PreCheck benefits for some members, meaning the suspension can affect the end-to-end travel experience even when security screening remains unchanged.
Even with the operational disruption, entry into the United States continues under existing immigration and visa policies, and DHS has not described the change as a visa restriction or travel ban.
Visa holders, international students, and other noncitizens who can lawfully travel remain subject to the same admissibility standards, even if they face slower processing at arrival halls and longer waits for program interviews.
Global Entry enrollment and interviews remain limited, adding another layer of delay for travelers who planned to apply, renew, or complete required steps during the shutdown period.
Because enrollment depends on administrative processing, a slowdown can extend beyond the dates of any single closure, as applicants compete for fewer interview slots once operations normalize.
DHS’s shutdown posture extends across an agency that includes the Transportation Security Administration, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
That structure can produce a split-screen reality in which front-line inspection continues while administrative functions slow, because “essential operations” rules keep ports of entry staffed even as optional services get reduced.
DHS’s workforce rules underscore the strain: about 90-95% of DHS’s 272,000 employees, including TSA and CBP, work without pay as essential staff.
Airports reported minimal disruptions midday February 23, even as a winter storm canceled over 7,000 flights, a factor that complicated the travel picture while also shifting passenger loads.
Noem also suspended congressional courtesy escorts and FEMA non-disaster responses, widening the shutdown’s impact beyond airport lines into other DHS-managed services.
For international mobility, the biggest near-term effect comes at arrival halls and enrollment centers, where Global Entry’s absence can slow the flow of returning travelers and add uncertainty for those trying to time onward travel.
Travelers who built schedules around expedited entry can face missed connections and tighter arrival buffers, even though their immigration status and documentation requirements remain unchanged.
Students and global professionals who travel frequently for study, work, or family reasons can feel those disruptions first, because even modest processing delays can cascade across tight itineraries.
H-1B professionals, F-1 students, permanent residents, and digital nomads may face a practical planning challenge during the shutdown, particularly when interview rescheduling becomes necessary and appointment availability narrows.
The episode also showed how quickly shutdown-era operational decisions can reverse, with DHS shifting from an announced suspension of both programs to a posture that kept TSA PreCheck operating while Global Entry faced limitations.
Officials and industry groups described that volatility as part of a broader pattern in funding disputes, where agency managers triage services and sometimes adjust within hours as pressure builds.
For travelers, that means real-time conditions can vary by airport and port of entry, especially when staffing constraints and passenger surges collide.
The confusion surrounding timing also had a tangible effect, because travelers often purchase tickets, plan connections, and schedule interviews weeks or months in advance, and even short-lived announcements can disrupt those plans.
As funding talks continue, DHS operations tied to expedited processing remain more likely to produce delays than outright travel bans connected to this issue, with the most visible changes typically surfacing in airport operations and appointment availability.
Thompson’s criticism captured the political temperature around the shutdown-driven service cuts, describing travelers as pawns in “sadistic political games,” while Freeman pointed to the risk of a “crisis of its own making” if TSA PreCheck had closed.
U.S. Department of Homeland Security May Pause TSA Precheck and Global Entry
Following a budget impasse, the Department of Homeland Security has partially suspended trusted traveler programs. While TSA PreCheck remains operational to avoid airport security bottlenecks, Global Entry services are currently suspended, forcing international arrivals into standard processing lines. The move highlights the operational strain on DHS during the shutdown, with many essential staff working without pay while administrative functions and enrollment centers face significant disruptions.
