Long TSA wait times could return soon, according to this leaked DHS memo
Read today's edition of Gate Access • April 7, 2026
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I hope you had a great Easter weekend.
A few releases ago, I said that I feel like we’re in the eye of a hurricane when it comes to TSA and this partial government shutdown, which has now reached day 53. I’m currently traveling myself, and it only took about 3 minutes to get through TSA in Atlanta.
Everything seems back to normal, but it’s not, and the latest update that TSA officers received yesterday afternoon is one you should know if you plan on traveling soon.
Here’s what’s happening. TSA officers have received a directive that they will no longer receive paychecks after April 16th. This notice has caused internal outrage, especially after President Donald J. Trump signed an executive order that promised payments during the Department of Homeland Security funding lapse.
That’s no longer the case accoriding to this memo. As long as DHS remains in a partial shutdown, future payments beyond pay period 6 will not be paid (March 22 - April 4, 2026).
Congress is currently on recess until April 13. Last week, the Republican leaders in both chambers announced a deal to fund DHS; however, House Democrats are pushing back. We’re now in the eighth week of this government shutdown, and it looks like we’re heading back to round 1.
On top of that, heavy conversation regarding privatizing TSA is circulating all across the internet. Even the CEO of CLEAR has shared her strong approval of privatization.
So what does this mean? If you're traveling in mid-April and beyond, pay attention to TSA wait times on airport websites. You can only truly trust wait times if the estimates are under 30 minutes. Anything beyond that, add some buffer time just in case. This is not to scare you; I just want you to be well-prepared in the event that we return to outrageous wait times at TSA checkpoints, which I believe we will see if DHS remains closed.
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I'll see you back here tomorrow with another travel-related update.
This is absolutely destroying the Tourism industry in America. A Trillion dollar industry being flushed down the toilet. TSA should never be private. We are witnessing our government being sold brick by brick to the highest bidders. Do we really want the safety of our airports to be sold to companies that can jeopardize our safety as they put profits ahead of safety. We have already seen the destruction this has done to the healthcare industry.