The Daily Populous Sunday February 22nd, 2026 evening edition
Authored by nbcnews.com and submitted by DrexellGames

TSA PreCheck will remain operational for now, a spokesperson for the agency said Sunday, reversing earlier indications that the Department of Homeland Security’s expedited screening program would be suspended amid the department’s funding lapse.

However, the TSA “will evaluate on a case by case basis and adjust operations accordingly” depending on “staffing constraints,” the spokesperson added in a statement.

“Courtesy escorts, such as those for Members of Congress, have been suspended to allow officers to focus on the mission of securing America’s skies,” the statement said.

The Transportation Security Administration’s PreCheck program allows vetted passengers to forgo customary security check-in lines for quicker passage. U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Global Entry, which offers similarly rapid check-ins for Americans at U.S. ports of entry, was also suspended. The TSA spokesperson did not address that status of that program on Sunday.

The suspension of both programs, first reported by The Washington Post, was supposed to start at 6 a.m. ET on Sunday, DHS spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem blamed congressional Democrats and said the lack of funding endangers Americans and puts personnel in a financial bind.

“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,” Noem said in a statement.

The DHS funding shutdown started Feb. 14 as the White House and Senate Democrats negotiate changes to DHS and its Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency after two people were killed by federal law enforcement in Minneapolis amid a federal immigration crackdown.

Personnel at the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the TSA and the Coast Guard aren’t being paid, though most will continue coming to work because their jobs are considered critical.

ICE and Customs and Border Protection personnel are continuing their paid work under $75 billion in funding approved last year under President Donald Trump’s tax cut and spending law.

Noem said CBP and the TSA will prioritize “the general traveling population,” while FEMA will halt nondisaster responses amid the funding lapse.

“This is particularly important given this weekend another significant winter storm is forecast to impact the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast United States,” she said in her statement Saturday.

WhiskySails on February 22nd, 2026 at 04:56 UTC »

This isn’t about funding. PreCheck and Global Entry users pay extra for participation.

TheKittyCow on February 22nd, 2026 at 04:41 UTC »

I am a checkpoint supervisor for TSA. As much as some of yall feel one way or another about the agency, we had zero heads up this was happening. We know as much as everyone else does because of how late in the night this news broke. It will be a play-it-by-ear for all of us in the morning. The majority of contiguous US airports were closed or on skeleton night crews when outlets started reporting all of this.

Edit: rumors are circulating that it could just be a pause on enrollment instead of actual airport screening status. Hoping this is the case as opposed to any other alternative. We will see.

Edit 2 (02.22): Local management has directed that checkpoint screening of Precheck passengers will continue as normal unless we hear otherwise from Headquarters. It's certainly possible we hear otherwise in the next day or so based on how quickly things can change around here. Cheers everyone and save travels if you are flying sometime soon. Thanks for working through all this with us across the country.

g3n3s1s69 on February 22nd, 2026 at 04:29 UTC »

They are understaffed and working without pay, but somehow disabling accelerated passenger access is better? How does it make sense to make TSA lines longer if they are under a resourcing constraint?