DHS Reverses Suspension, Tsa Precheck Restored After Chicago Lines and Flight Disruptions
The Department of Homeland Security abruptly reversed a decision to suspend tsa precheck and Global Entry after a brief closure that produced long security lines at Chicago airports and coincided with widespread flight cancellations amid a major nor'easter. The rollback came hours after DHS set the suspension to begin at 5 a. m. local time, and travelers and officials scrambled to manage staffing and operations during a partial DHS shutdown.
DHS announcement, timeline and reversal
On Saturday night DHS announced it would suspend TSA PreCheck and Global Entry and suspend courtesy escorts for members of Congress, with the suspension set to take effect at 5 a. m. local time Sunday. Travelers were getting through checkpoints without issue at 6 a. m., and after 9: 30 a. m. DHS announced that PreCheck "remains operational with no change for the traveling public. " Two DHS there were no changes to Global Entry. A TSA spokesperson said the agency will "evaluate on a case by case basis and adjust operations accordingly. " The updated guidance noted courtesy escorts were suspended "to allow officers to focus on the mission of securing America's skies. "
Tsa Precheck restored as passengers and staff cope at O'Hare
An airport employee described long lines and confusion when TSA PreCheck lanes were closed, forcing enrolled passengers into general security. Frequent traveler Jason Hahn said he arrived 45 minutes earlier than usual — he travels every week — after adjusting his schedule to account for potential delays at O'Hare. Hahn added that the disruption felt punitive: "In the back of my mind, I almost felt like the administration was punishing, " and he said he suspected staffing levels were unchanged. Travel expert Peter Greenberg criticized the move as politically motivated, saying it "makes no sense based on the numbers we already know" and characterizing the action as "more of a political act than anything else. " One observer noted that not having Global Entry "can be the difference between two hours. "
Flight cancellations at O'Hare and Midway as storm and confusion hit
The security disruption came as Chicago airports were already grappling with winter-storm impacts. As of 5: 30 p. m. Sunday, O'Hare had 133 cancellations with average delays of 16 minutes, and Midway had 23 cancellations with average delays of less than 15 minutes. The combined effect of canceled flights and temporary changes to screening lines added to passenger uncertainty across the terminals.
Nor'easter prompts emergency declarations across the Northeast
A major nor'easter was forecast to hit the Northeast Coast Sunday into Monday, expected to dump at least a foot of snow in places and trigger the first blizzard warning for New York City in nearly a decade. Nationwide, 40 million people were under a blizzard warning and another 14 million faced winter storm warnings. Governors of Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island declared states of emergency; Maryland Governor Wes Moore declared a "state of preparedness. " Several states, including New York, Connecticut and Rhode Island, issued travel bans as officials urged people to stay off roadways.
Shutdown context: staffing, agencies and political backdrop
The partial government shutdown affecting DHS began Feb. 14 after lawmakers failed to reach a funding deal. Lawmakers from the Democratic side had demanded changes to DHS following the deadly shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis, Minnesota, last month by federal immigration agents, a push used to try to reverse the shutdown. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said "shutdowns have serious real world consequences" and that "TSA and CBP are prioritizing the general traveling population at our airports and ports of entry and suspending courtesy and special privilege escorts. "
Along with TSA, the shutdown is affecting other agencies such as FEMA and the Coast Guard. So far, TSA workers have missed one paycheck. The prior 43-day shutdown, the longest in U. S. history, ended in November. Air traffic controllers were not impacted by the current shutdown.
What makes this notable is the juxtaposition of a weather-driven travel crisis and a political funding standoff: the timing magnified the operational strain on airports, forcing near-term adjustments to screening priorities while tens of millions faced winter weather warnings and hundreds of flights were canceled.
