DHS suspends TSA PreCheck and Global Entry programs amid government shutdown
Minister of Homeland Security Kristi Noem On Saturday, he blamed Democrats for the government shutdown, saying they were causing “dangerous consequences globally.”
“This is the third time Democratic politicians have closed their doors “Shutdowns have serious real-world consequences, not only for the men and women of DHS and their families who go without a paycheck, but it puts our national security at risk,” Noem said in a statement provided to Fox News Digital.
The suspension of the programs, which allow some travelers to quickly pass through airport security, was first reported by The Washington Post, which noted that the changes would begin Sunday at 6 a.m. EST.
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The Department of Homeland Security will suspend TSA PreCheck and Global Entry as the partial government shutdown continues. (Kent Nishimura/Getty Images)
Noem said the department is making “tough but necessary decisions about manpower and resources to mitigate the damage inflicted by these politicians.”
TSA and US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) “will prioritize the traveling public at our airports and ports of entry and suspend special escort and courtesy,” she said. She added that FEMA will pause all non-disaster responses to prioritize disasters.
Noem noted that the suspension comes as a major storm is expected Mid-Atlantic and Northeast.
Kristi Noem blamed Democrats for the government shutdown as the Department of Homeland Security announced changes to airport programs on February 21. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Missouri, the ranking member on the House Homeland Security Committee, criticized the Trump administration for “foolishly” shutting down programs to “punish the American people.”
“This is Trump and Kristi Noem deliberately punishing the American people and using them as pawns for their sadistic political games,” he said in a statement. “TSA PreCheck and Global Entry reduce airport lines and ease the burden on DHS employees working without pay due to Trump’s abuse of the department and murder of American citizens.”
He called on the administration to rescind the decision immediately.
the third Government shutdown in under The half-year began on February 14 after Democrats and Republicans deadlocked over reaching an agreement on President Donald Trump’s anti-immigration campaign.
The Department of Homeland Security was the only department left without it Federal funding After Democrats withdrew from a bipartisan plan released last month in response to the killing of US citizens at the hands of federal law enforcement agents in Minneapolis during anti-customs demonstrations.
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The Department of Homeland Security will temporarily pause some expedited travel programs amid the shutdown on February 22, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said. (AP Photo/Rhonda Churchill)
DHS is the third largest Cabinet agency with approximately 272,000 employees. Nearly 90% of DHS workers were expected to continue working, many without pay, according to the department’s September 2025 government shutdown plan.
DHS has jurisdiction over numerous agencies and offices, including CBP, TSA, FEMA, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the U.S. Coast Guard, and the U.S. Secret Service.
Fox News Digital’s Elizabeth Elkind and Alex Miller contributed to this report.
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