TSA Workers Paid After Shutdown, Lines Still Long

0:00It's March 30, I'm Cory with the story. This is Durham News Today, driven by AI. TSA workers are finally getting paid after weeks, without checks during the longest Department of Homeland Security shutdown on record. That shutdown hit 44 days, topping last fall's 43-day mess. President Trump ordered the payments Friday to cut down those nightmare security lines at airports nationwide. Every Monday, way times drop big time at spots like Atlanta and Houston checkpoints. But lines still stretched over two hours in New York's LaGuardia, and Baltimore, Washington International, is telling folks to show up three hours early, just to be safe. Travelers and workers have been hit hard. High call-out rates topped 40 percent at some airports, nearly 500 of TSA's 50,000 officers quit, and the agency warned of possible closures. Many officers are still recovering for missing pay last fall. Trump's move came after he nixed Congress's funding push, tied to immigration limits.

1:01To fill gaps, immigration and customs enforcement agents stepped in in airports last week. But border chief Tom Homan says they'll stick around only, until TSA folks return full strength. Paychecks hit as early as Monday, sparking some optimism amid spring break rushes. Still, no one knows when lines normalize or when extra help pulls out, so pack patience if you're flying soon.