DHS Halts Travel Programs Amid Ongoing Shutdown

Clear Facts

• The Department of Homeland Security announced suspension of TSA PreCheck and Global Entry starting Sunday due to the partial government shutdown.
• Secretary Kristi Noem said Democrats are responsible for shutting down the government and causing “serious real world consequences.”
• DHS staff continue working without pay while most courtesy and special privilege airport services are paused to prioritize core operations.

The Department of Homeland Security will stop TSA PreCheck and Global Entry services beginning Sunday as the government shutdown stretches into its sixth day.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem placed blame on Democrat lawmakers, citing real world impacts for DHS personnel and Americans’ safety.

“This is the third time that Democrat politicians have shut down this department during the 119th Congress,” Noem stated.

She underscored the serious effects not just for DHS workers and their families, but for national security as well.

Noem explained that DHS is forced to make “tough but necessary workforce and resource decisions to mitigate the damage inflicted by these politicians.”

TSA and U.S. Customs and Border Protection will focus on the general traveling public, suspending special escorts at airports and ports of entry, while FEMA halts all non-disaster-related services to direct resources toward emergencies.

Noem pointed out the timing of this suspension coincides with a significant storm forecast for the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast regions.

Rep. Bennie Thompson, the ranking Democrat on the House Homeland Security Committee, attacked the Trump administration for allegedly using Americans as “pawns for their sadistic political games.”

“This is Trump and Kristi Noem purposely punishing the American people and using them as pawns for their sadistic political games,” Thompson said.

The latest shutdown began February 14 after negotiations broke down over immigration policy, with DHS the only Cabinet department left unfunded following Democrats’ withdrawal from a recent bipartisan proposal.

DHS, as the third-largest Cabinet agency, oversees about 272,000 employees. Most are continuing to work, many without pay, in accordance with government contingency plans.

Its jurisdiction spans agencies such as CBP, TSA, FEMA, ICE, the Coast Guard, and the Secret Service.

Stay informed as this situation develops and impacts essential travel programs and government workers across the country.

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