Global Entry Tsa Precheck Shutdown: Travelers First to Feel the Pinch as DHS Suspends Global Entry

Mo. Basuony

Published: February 23, 2026 8:12 AM ET

Global Entry Tsa Precheck Shutdown: Travelers First to Feel the Pinch as DHS Suspends Global Entry

The global entry tsa precheck shutdown will hit registered travelers immediately: Department of Homeland Security has ordered Global Entry suspended for as long as the partial government shutdown lasts, while a planned closure of TSA PreCheck was reversed on short notice. The pause removes a key speed lane through security at a moment of record travel, a looming East Coast winter storm and sharply curtailed flights at major Northeast airports.

Impact-first: who feels it and how

Frequent flyers and international arrivals will see the most obvious effect. The programs are designed to help speed registered travelers through security lines; suspending them could cause headaches for fliers and add strain to checkpoints already monitoring staffing. Here’s the part that matters: the travel industry says the announcement came with extremely short notice, giving travelers little time to plan during a high-volume period.

Global Entry Tsa Precheck Shutdown — the operational picture

The Department of Homeland Security announced that Global Entry will be shut down while the partial government shutdown remains in effect. The department had planned to close both Global Entry and the Transportation Security Administration’s PreCheck program, but the planned PreCheck closure was canceled. A stated line notes: "As staffing constraints arise, TSA will evaluate on a case-by-case basis and adjust operations accordingly. "

Political and funding context included in the notice

The turmoil at security and customs lanes is tied to a partial government shutdown that began Feb. 14 after Democrats and the White House were unable to reach a deal on legislation to fund the Department of Homeland Security. The context also notes that Democrats have been demanding changes to immigration operations that are core to President Donald Trump’s deportation campaign; this point is presented within the available coverage and may remain a developing element in broader political negotiations.

Airlines’ reaction and historical cost reminder

Airlines for America President and CEO Chris Sununu issued a statement expressing deep concern that TSA PreCheck and Global Entry programs are being suspended and that the traveling public will be used as a political football amid another government shutdown. The statement said the announcement was made with extremely short notice to travelers, which is especially troubling during record air travel.

Industry memory is sharp: the statement recalled last fall’s 43-day shutdown, described as the longest in U. S. history, when more than 9, 000 flights were delayed or canceled, significantly impacting six million travelers and countless deliveries. That prior shutdown was said to have caused $6. 1 billion of losses across the travel industry and related sectors. The statement urged Congress to strike a funding deal so TSA can fully operate and frontline employees can be paid.

Weather, airport cancellations and on-the-ground images

Security disruptions arrive as a major winter storm is expected to hit the East Coast from Sunday into Monday, compounding operational pressures. Nine out of 10 flights going out of John F. Kennedy International Airport, LaGuardia Airport and Boston Logan Airport have been canceled for Monday. Photographs on file show people walking through TSA PreCheck at Dallas Love Field on Sunday, Feb. 22, 2026, and people standing by a board giving information on wait times at security checkpoints at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport on the same day. A separate image on file shows U. S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem shaking hands with Transportation Security Administration Officer Monica Degro at a news conference at Harry Reid International Airport on Nov. 22, 2025, in Las Vegas.

Key takeaway: Global Entry is suspended for the duration of the partial shutdown.
Key takeaway: TSA PreCheck closure was announced then cancelled; operations will be adjusted case-by-case.
Key takeaway: Airlines warned the short notice and cited the 43-day shutdown impact — 9, 000+ disrupted flights, six million travelers affected, and $6. 1 billion in losses — as precedent.
Key takeaway: A major East Coast winter storm and mass cancellations at JFK, LaGuardia and Boston Logan increase near-term travel risk.

It’s easy to overlook, but these layered pressures — political impasse, staffing constraints and severe weather — can compound quickly at checkpoints and customs lines. The real question now is how long the partial government shutdown will persist and whether negotiations will restore the trusted speed lanes that many travelers rely on.

A short timeline for context: the partial government shutdown began on Feb. 14; photos showing busy security areas were taken on Feb. 22, 2026; the handshake image between the Homeland Security Secretary and a TSA officer dates to Nov. 22, 2025. Recent statements from industry leaders referenced a 43-day shutdown last fall and its wide-ranging operational and economic impacts.

If you’re wondering why this keeps coming up, the immediate confirmation that Global Entry is halted while PreCheck remains subject to operational review explains why travelers and airlines reacted sharply: the measures directly affect how quickly people can move through airports at a peak travel moment.