The stalemate in Congress over funding the Department of Homeland Security has left airports understaffed, causing unpredictable wait times in security lines that have at times lasted hours.
Workers for the Transportation Security Administration, which operates under DHS, have gone unpaid for weeks during the partial federal government shutdown.
Wait times at Chicago’s O’Hare and Midway airports have not been as long as what has been reported at other airports countrywide, but they have occasionally in recent weeks built up to lengthy waits.
Here’s what we know so far about how the partial government shutdown is impacting air travel in Chicago:
How long are wait times at O’Hare and Midway?
The wait times at both airports have been relatively short, with many travelers this week reporting on social media less than half-hour waits for security.
Up-to-date wait times have been mostly unclear because the MyTSA app, which usually shows live wait times, is not being managed during the partial government shutdown.
The Chicago Department of Aviation also does not track wait times for O’Hare and Midway,
Security lines at O’Hare on March 16, the day after St. Patrick’s Day weekend — which attracts thousands of travelers — were bottlenecked in the morning, but travelers haven’t experienced such extreme gridlocks since then.
How many TSA employees are calling out of work?
The number of TSA workers who have called off at O’Hare and Midway airports wasn’t available.
Nationally, at least 450 TSA workers have quit altogether since the shutdown began Feb. 14 and thousands have been calling off work, according to DHS.
Almost 11% of TSA workers — more than 3,200 — missed work Monday, DHS said.
Sunday’s call out rate of 11.75% at airports nationwide was the highest yet of the government shutdown, according to DHS.
What is ICE doing at airports?
President Donald Trump’s administration deployed U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to airports across the country, including O’Hare, Monday in an effort to assist the short-staffed airport security personnel.
About 75 ICE agents were expected to be stationed at O’Hare, according to Mayor Brandon Johnson. Agents were monitoring exit lanes and checkpoints, not performing security screenings. Agents were not deployed to Midway.
White House border czar Tom Homan said Sunday that ICE agents could potentially cover exits currently monitored by TSA agents, freeing them to work screening lines.
It’s unclear if any updated guidance was provided to ICE agents, including whether they would be directed to not wear masks while working at airports.
Agents spotted at O’Hare on Monday by a Sun-Times reporter were mostly wearing face masks, against the wishes of Trump, who said he prefers them to not wear masks.
Will the National Guard be deployed?
Trump told reporters Monday that if bringing ICE agents to airports doesn’t help alleviate long wait times, he would consider also deploying the National Guard to help.
The National Guard did not say whether it has received communication from the Trump administration about potential deployment.
When will this all be over?
Senators raced Tuesday to clinch an emerging proposal to end the DHS shutdown by funding much of the department, including the TSA airport workers going without pay, but excluding the ICE enforcement operations that have been core to the dispute.
While the Trump administration has blamed Democrats over the DHS funding lapse, Democrats have blamed the Trump administration and Republicans for not agreeing to their offer to fund all of the DHS except for ICE.
“There is one solution that immediately solves the problem at our airports: pay the people who are already trained to protect us — today,” Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., said Monday on the Senate floor.
Next steps in Congress could move quickly, if lawmakers can reach a deal, or sputter out just as fast.
What does this mean for me?
Travelers have been urged to arrive at airports early in anticipation of long wait times due to staffing shortages and an influx of spring break travelers.
The TSA and airlines recommend arriving at least two hours before a domestic flight and three hours before an international flight — even for people who are enrolled in expedited screening programs like TSA PreCheck and CLEAR.
Associated Press contributed.
The partial federal government shutdown has caused confusion for people traveling out of O’Hare and Midway airports. Most wait times in security lines have been relatively short, but live wait times aren’t clear.
