TSA says PreCheck still operational after earlier announcement of suspension amid funding battle – The Times of India

DALLAS: The Transportation Security Administration said Sunday that its PreCheck program would remain operational, despite an earlier announcement from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security that airport security service was suspended during the partial government shutdown. “If staffing limitations arise, TSA will assess this on a case-by-case basis and adjust operations accordingly,” the agency said. Airport lines appeared largely unaffected until Sunday afternoon, with security checkpoint wait times for most international airports under 15 minutes, according to TSA’s mobile app. Amy Wainscott, 42, flew from Florida’s Destin-Fort Walton Beach airport to Dallas Love Field on Sunday and said she only learned of the closure after she had already gone through TSA’s PreCheck. “When we arrived at the airport this morning, everything was working as usual,” she said. “It seemed like nothing had changed.” Jean Fay, 54, said she had no trouble going through TSA PreCheck at the Baltimore airport for her 6 a.m. Sunday flight back to Texas. She only learned of the closure when she was transferring in Austin, Texas, on her way to Dallas Love Field. “When I landed in Austin, I got warnings,” she said. It was not immediately clear whether Global Entry, another airport service, would be affected. PreCheck and Global Entry are designed to move registered travelers through security lines faster, and suspensions would likely cause headaches and delays. According to the Department of Homeland Security, more than 20 million Americans have signed up for TSA PreCheck since its inception in 2013, and millions of those Americans also have overlapping Global Entry memberships. Global Entry is a U.S. Customs and Border Protection program that allows pre-approved, low-risk travelers to use expedited kiosks when entering the United States from abroad. The unrest is linked to a partial government shutdown that began on February 14 after Democrats and the White House failed to reach an agreement on legislation to fund the Department of Homeland Security. Democrats are demanding changes to immigration operations that are key to President Donald Trump’s deportation campaign. The safety disruptions come as a major winter storm is set to hit the East Coast from Sunday through Monday. Nine of 10 flights from John F. Kennedy International Airport, LaGuardia Airport and Boston Logan Airport have been canceled for Monday. Homeland Security previously said it was taking “emergency measures to preserve limited resources.” The steps mentioned included “discontinuing Transportation Security Administration (TSA) PreCheck lanes and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Global Entry service to refocus department staff on the majority of travelers.” “We are pleased that DHS has decided to keep PreCheck operational and avoid a crisis of its own making,” said Geoff Freeman, president and CEO of the US Travel Association. Before announcing PreCheck’s closure, Secretary Kristi Noem said in a statement Saturday evening that “shutdowns have serious real-world consequences.” According to TSA, one group of fliers will definitely be affected. “Courtesy escorts, such as those for members of Congress, have been suspended so officers can focus on the mission of securing U.S. airspace,” the agency said. Airlines for America, a trade group representing major airlines, said Saturday evening that “it is time for Congress to sit down and make a deal.” It also criticized the announcement, saying it was “declared to travelers at extremely short notice, leaving them little time to plan accordingly.” “A4A is deeply concerned that the TSA PreCheck and Global Entry programs are being suspended and that the traveling public will once again be used as a political football amid another government shutdown,” the organization said. Democrats on the House Committee on Homeland Security criticized Homeland Security’s handling of airport security after the initial announcement on Saturday evening. They accused the government of undermining “the programs that make travel smoother and safer.” Sen. Andy Kim, a New Jersey Democrat, said Noem’s actions are part of a government strategy to divert attention from other issues and shift responsibility. “This administration is trying to weaponize our government and is deliberately trying to make things more difficult for the American people as political leverage,” he told CNN on Sunday. “And the American people see that.”