TSA lines at Houston airport a 3-floor nightmare amid staffing shortage
Out of the five terminals at George Bush Intercontinental Airport, only two had TSA staffing, and wait times could exceed four hours, the airport told travelers.
With nearly 40% of TSA employees at George Bush Intercontinental Airport calling out as the partial government shutdown drags into a sixth week, Houston has a problem.
The security line in Terminal A on Monday turned into a three-floor nightmare stretching into the airport's underground train system. The wait starts inside the terminal with a long slog in the subway corridor below, winding past baggage claim before climbing into ticketing — a slow-moving maze that travelers call confusing and inefficient.
The traffic in Terminal E was moving somewhat faster on Monday, but passengers in both terminals with TSA officers told CBS News they had been waiting more than three hours. PreCheck and CLEAR lanes were both closed, pushing everyone into the same clogged lines.
To help relieve the staffing shortage, the Trump administration sent Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to some of the airports that have been hit particularly hard.
The Department of Homeland Security did not confirm where the agents were deployed due to "operational security reasons," but White House border czar Tom Homan said ICE agents are currently stationed in 14 U.S. airports.