Spring breakers are facing travel carnage as airports across the country descended into chaos Thursday amid security delays due to the ongoing shutdown at the Department of Homeland Security. At major hubs in Pennsylvania and Texas, travelers encountered overwhelming queues at TSA checkpoints early in the day. Online videos captured packed stairways and escalators at Philadelphia International Airport, where only limited screening lanes were operating. In Houston, lines had already extended beyond the terminal before sunrise. By midmorning, flight disruptions mounted, with more than 1,200 delays reported nationwide. Officials attribute the turmoil to a partial funding lapse at DHS, leaving approximately 50,000 screening staff unpaid. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy cautioned that conditions may worsen significantly if the impasse continues. “As we get into next week and they are about to miss another payment, this is going to look like child’s play what’s happening right now,” he said. The funding standoff stems from Democrats seeking to introduce immigration enforcement reforms and Republicans refusing to agree.
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