TSA PreCheck Won’t Be Closed After All, Global Check-in Remains Suspended
The Department of Homeland Security said it would not immediately close TSA PreCheck lanes after previously announcing it would temporarily suspend the program during the ongoing partial government shutdown.
“For now, TSA PreCheck is still operating without change for the traveling public. As staffing issues arise, TSA will review each case and adjust operations accordingly,” a spokesperson for the Transportation Security Administration told USA TODAY in a statement. “Honorable escorts, such as those from members of Congress, have been suspended to allow officials to focus on the mission of protecting America’s skies.”
The Department of Homeland Security first announced late Saturday that it will suspend its TSA PreCheck and Global Entry programs effective Sunday, Feb. 22, at 6 a.m. ET before changing courses in PreCheck. Global Entry remains suspended.
Adam Stahl, the chief executive officer of the Transportation Security Administration, said in a statement released on social media earlier during the shutdown that prolonged cash outages could cause inconvenience to travelers, “including delays, longer wait times and canceled flights.”
If the agency decides to suspend the programs, millions of travelers who paid for expedited screening and fast customs processing could find themselves back on regular lines.
In a statement first reported by the Washington Post, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said the TSA and Customs and Border Protection are prioritizing “the normal number of travelers.” He described the move as one of the “difficult but necessary” decisions at a time when funding was running out.
Despite the initial DHS order, TSA agents at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York continued to separate passengers in PreCheck and non-PreCheck lines early Sunday morning, and allowed those in the Trusted Traveler Program to continue using metal detectors rather than full-body scanners.
The closure stems from disagreements in Congress over immigration enforcement policy. While the back-and-forth continues, TSA officials who are considered essential are working without pay.
“We are pleased that DHS has decided to keep PreCheck running and avoid a self-inflicted problem,” US Travel Association President and CEO Geoff Freeman said in a statement. “We urge the same with Global Entry. These Trusted Travel programs strengthen airline security and improve screening efficiency. They are funded by user fees, and there is no reason at this time for them to be stopped.”
TSA PreCheck members — more than 20 million by 2024 — may have to use regular screening lanes, potentially increasing wait times at already busy airports. The plan costs between $76.75 and $85 for five years. Global Entry, which has more than 12 million members and costs $120 for five years, mostly relies on automated kiosks.
Together, DHS’s trusted traveler programs include more than 40 million screened travelers. In previous closures, registration was disrupted and lines grew longer, but the lanes and kiosks themselves remained open.
If the moratorium is finally implemented, it would mark the first known formal statewide moratorium on such accelerated benefits.
(This story has been updated to add new information.)
Zach Wichter is a travel journalist and writes the Cruising Altitude column for USA TODAY. He is based in New York and you can find him at [email protected].
This article first appeared in USA TODAY: TSA PreCheck will not be closed after all, Global Entry is still suspended.
Reporting by Zach Wichter, USA TODAY / USA TODAY
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