The Transportation Security Administration (TSA)
announced Sunday that the TSA PreCheck program will remain in operation at the
nation’s airports during the current partial government shutdown — at least for
now.
This news comes
after a previous proclamation by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS),
sent out on Saturday evening, that the program was being put on hiatus while
TSA workers are compelled to work without pay, and consequently, attendance issues
are likely to arise.
DHS has since clarified,
“As staffing constraints arise, TSA will evaluate on a case by case basis
and adjust operations accordingly.”
It remains unclear
whether another Trusted Traveler program — Global Entry — will be impacted,
though DHS previously listed it among the airport services to be halted. Both
TSA PreCheck and Global Entry are designed to speed vetted travelers through
security and customs checkpoints, and their suspension could cause major
backups at busy airports.
The American Society of Travel Advisors (ASTA) issued a statement on February 23, saying, "The uncertainty created by the announcements, misinformation around and reversals of the suspension of TSA PreCheck and Global Entry is deeply concerning for travel agency professionals and their clients who rely on a stable and dependable travel system.
"In the last four months, travelers have been entangled in partisan political disputes not once, but twice. Millions of Americans rely on air travel every single day, and reckless disruptions of this magnitude create unnecessary, profoundly damaging strain. This is true for vacation travelers planning long-awaited trips and even more so for business travelers whose livelihoods depend on tight schedules and seamless mobility.
ASTA calls on our nation’s leaders to immediately stop leveraging travel and travelers to get their way, and swiftly and decisively to restore certainty and reinforce confidence in the programs that protect secure, efficient travel for the American public."
The disruption is
due to a partial government shutdown that began on February 14, after Democrats
and Republicans in Congress failed to agree on DHS funding legislation. The
standoff boils down to Democrats’ demands for changes to immigration
enforcement policies that are at the heart of President Donald Trump’s
deportation agenda.
Earlier, DHS said
it was putting “emergency measures to preserve limited funds” in place,
including “ending Transportation Security Administration (TSA) PreCheck lanes
and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Global Entry service, to refocus
Department personnel on the majority of travelers,” according to AP
News.
Airlines for
America, an industry group representing major U.S. airlines, criticized both
the shutdown and the way DHS handled the initial announcement. The group said,
“It’s past time for Congress to get to the table and get a deal done,” adding
that the original bulletin was “issued with extremely short notice to
travelers, giving them little time to plan accordingly.”
Democrats on the
House Committee on Homeland Security also slammed the handling of the
situation, accusing the Trump administration of “kneecapping the programs that
make travel smoother and secure.”
The U.S. Travel
Association (U.S. Travel) praised the decision to keep PreCheck lanes open. “We
are glad that DHS has decided to keep PreCheck operational and avoid a crisis
of its own making,” said Geoff Freeman, President & CEO of U.S. Travel. “We
are urging the same for Global Entry. These Trusted Traveler Programs
strengthen aviation security and improve screening efficiency. They are funded
by user fees, and there is no reason at this time for them to be suspended.”
Freeman added,
“Travelers can continue to use PreCheck lanes without immediate interruption,
which is critical during a peak travel period. At the same time, this situation
highlights the uncertainty and strain placed on both travelers and the
dedicated men and women working on the frontlines of airport security. Congress
must act with urgency to fully fund TSA. Air travel is essential for our
economy and daily life, and it’s disgraceful for travel to be used as leverage
in political disagreements.”
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