Washington, March 22 (IANS) Air travel across the United States is facing growing disruption as a partial shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has affected airport security operations, with Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warning of worsening delays and staff shortages.
In an interview on ABC News’ This Week with George Stephanopoulos, Duffy said the situation could deteriorate further in the coming days.
“I do think it’s going to get much worse,” he said, pointing to mounting financial strain on Transportation Security Administration (TSA) personnel and rising absenteeism.
More than 10 per cent of TSA officers have already failed to report for duty on some days, while around 400 officers have quit since the shutdown began, according to figures cited during the interview.
Duffy said staffing shortages are disrupting airport operations nationwide. “You have some airports where we’re missing as many as 30 to 40 per cent of agents,” he said, adding that such gaps can cause airports to “grind to a halt”.
The impact is being felt most acutely during peak travel periods, with long security queues reported at major airports.
“This is spring break. We have families that are trying to go on vacation, and they’re stuck in lines for two, three hours at a time,” Duffy said.
TSA personnel, who typically earn around $50,000 annually, are currently working without pay, adding to the strain. Duffy acknowledged that many are struggling to meet basic expenses.
“They’re going to take other jobs to put food on the table and pay the rent,” he said, explaining the rising attrition.
To ease pressure, the administration is considering deploying Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) personnel to assist at airport checkpoints.
“If we can bring in other assets and tools to assist TSA to get rid of these lines, yes, I think that makes a lot of sense,” Duffy said.
He said ICE personnel have relevant operational experience. “They run those same type of security machines at the southern border,” he added.
The move is aimed at maintaining passenger flow and reducing delays as staffing shortages persist.
Duffy said the administration is also urging TSA officers to continue reporting for duty despite the lack of pay. “I’m asking for them to come,” he said, noting that workers would receive back pay once funding is restored.
–IANS
int/lkj/pgh