The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) reversed course on its planned suspension of Transportation Security Administration (TSA) PreCheck just hours after announcing the expedited screening program would shut down amid the partial government shutdown.
DHS Secretary Kristi Noem blamed congressional Democrats for the shutdown, according to Fox News. “This is the third time that Democrat politicians have shut down this department during the 119th Congress,” Noem said in a statement. “Shutdowns have serious real world consequences, not just for the men and women of DHS and their families who go without a paycheck, but it endangers our national security.”
The secretary said her agency was making “tough but necessary workforce and resource decisions to mitigate the damage inflicted by these politicians,” Fox News reported. (RELATED: Partial Government Shutdown Over ICE Hits Disaster Relief, Air Travel Hard)
TSA announced Sunday that PreCheck lanes would remain open despite the earlier suspension notice. “As staffing constraints arise, TSA will evaluate on a case by case basis and adjust operations accordingly,” the agency said, according to the Associated Press (AP). The status of Global Entry remained unclear as of Sunday.
The Department of Homeland Security has abruptly reversed a decision to temporarily suspend the Transportation Security Administration's PreCheck and Global Entry programs due to what the agency described as lapse in funding. https://t.co/81CbBVCbd9 pic.twitter.com/tWYSIEk0mj
— ABC News (@ABC) February 22, 2026
U.S. Travel Association President Geoff Freeman welcomed the reversal. “We are glad that DHS has decided to keep PreCheck operational and avoid a crisis of its own making,” Freeman said, according to AP.
The suspension threat affected an enormous pool of pre-screened passengers. As of 2024, more than 20 million travelers had enrolled in TSA PreCheck, while Global Entry membership topped 12 million, CNN reported. In total, these expedited programs cover upwards of 40 million pre-screened travelers.
The airline industry criticized the initial announcement. Airlines for America CEO Chris Sununu said in a statement that the programs were being “used as a political football amid another government shutdown,” CNBC reported. He added that “the announcement was issued with extremely short notice to travelers, giving them little time to plan accordingly.”
One group will face disruptions. TSA confirmed that courtesy escorts for members of Congress have been suspended so officers can focus on screening travelers, AP reported.
Congress left DHS unfunded starting Feb. 14 after bipartisan talks collapsed, CBS News reported. Democrats walked away from negotiations following the fatal shooting of two American citizens by federal immigration agents in Minneapolis last month.
The department employs nearly 272,000 workers, making it the third-largest Cabinet agency, according to Fox News. Roughly 90 percent will continue working without pay until Congress reaches a deal.
