TSA lines at Houston airport a 3-floor nightmare amid staffing shortage
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Out of the five terminals at George Bush Intercontinental Airport, only two had TSA staffing, and wait times could exceed four hours, the airport told travelers.
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U.S. TSA lines at Houston airport turn into a 3-floor nightmare amid staffing shortage By Nicole Sganga Nicole Sganga Homeland Security and Justice Correspondent Nicole Sganga is CBS News' homeland security and justice correspondent. She is based in Washington, D.C., and reports for all shows and platforms. Read Full Bio Nicole Sganga March 23, 2026 / 5:50 PM EDT / CBS News Add CBS News on Google With nearly 40% of TSA employees at George Bush Intercontinental Airport calling out as the partial government shutdown drags into a sixth week, Houston has a problem. The security line in Terminal A on Monday turned into a three-floor nightmare stretching into the airport's underground train system. The wait starts inside the terminal with a long slog in the subway corridor below, winding past baggage claim before climbing into ticketing — a slow-moving maze that travelers call confusing and inefficient. Out of the airport's five terminals, only two had TSA staffing, and the wait times could exceed four hours, the airport told travelers . The traffic in Terminal E was moving somewhat faster on Monday, but passengers in both terminals with TSA officers told CBS News they had been waiting more than three hours. PreCheck and CLEAR lanes were both closed, pushing everyone into the same clogged lines. To help relieve the staffing shortage, the Trump administration sent Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to some of the airports that have been hit particularly hard. The Department of Homeland Security did not confirm where the agents were deployed due to "operational security reasons," but White House border czar Tom Homan said ICE agents are currently stationed in 14 U.S. airports. CBS News spotted about two dozen immigration officers — most armed, with badges that identify them as ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations — at George Bush Intercontinental Airport on Monday. The agents are stationed at the security lines, along with Houston police, emergency management pers...
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