Starting Sunday, the Department of Homeland Security will suspend frequent flyer programs and expedited processing programs for travelers at airports and U.S. border crossings, DHS officials confirmed.
The programs include the Transportation Security Administration’s TSA PreCheck, which allows screened passengers to bypass the usual security check-in lines and get through quickly, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Global Entry, which provides similarly expedited check-in for Americans at U.S. ports of entry.
The suspension, first reported by the Washington Post, will begin at 6 a.m. ET Sunday, DHS spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem criticized Congressional Democrats, saying the lack of funding is putting Americans at risk and leaving employees in financial straits.
“A government shutdown has serious real-world consequences, not just for the men and women of DHS who work without pay and their families, but also for our national security,” Noem said in a statement. “Americans depend on this department every day, and we are making tough but necessary personnel and resource decisions to mitigate the damage inflicted by these politicians.”
The defunding of DHS began on February 14 as the White House and Senate Democrats negotiate changes to DHS and its Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency in the wake of the killing of two people by federal law enforcement officers in Minneapolis during the federal government’s crackdown on illegal immigration.
Federal Emergency Management Agency, Transportation Security Administration and Coast Guard employees are not being paid, but most plan to continue reporting to work because their work is considered essential.
ICE and Customs and Border Protection agents continue to have paid jobs under $75 billion in funding approved last year under President Donald Trump’s Tax Cuts and Spending Act.
Noem said CBP and TSA will prioritize “regular travelers,” while FEMA will suspend non-disaster responses due to funding shortfalls.
“This is especially important given that another significant winter storm is expected to impact the mid-Atlantic coast and northeastern United States this weekend,” he said in a statement Saturday.
