Three-hour TSA waits hit Houston’s IAH as Trump orders ICE support at U.S. airports

Extended security lines in Houston intersect with federal plan to add immigration agents at checkpoints

Travelers at Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) have faced periodic, extended waits at Transportation Security Administration (TSA) checkpoints, including reports of lines stretching to roughly three hours in some terminals during peak periods. The disruptions have unfolded alongside a broader nationwide strain on airport screening as TSA staffing and operations are affected by a continuing funding lapse at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

On Sunday, March 22, 2026, President Donald Trump said federal immigration agents would be sent to U.S. airports starting Monday, March 23, to assist with security operations. The move is framed as a response to the operational pressures created by the DHS funding lapse, under which many TSA employees have continued working without pay for weeks.

What is happening at IAH

Houston’s airport system has issued public advisories in recent months urging passengers to arrive early and to anticipate longer-than-normal screening times. The airport system has also directed travelers to use inter-terminal transportation options to access checkpoints that may be moving more quickly, depending on staffing and passenger volumes at any given time.

Security waits at IAH have not been uniform across terminals or time of day. While some time windows have shown relatively manageable queues, heavier travel days and staffing constraints have produced surges, including instances in which passengers reported multi-hour waits.

• Long lines have been tied to limited screening lane availability during busy travel periods.
• Operational conditions can shift rapidly between terminals and from one shift to the next.
• Airport guidance has emphasized arriving earlier than usual to reduce the risk of missed flights.

The federal backdrop: shutdown pressures and a new role for ICE

The announcement that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents will be deployed to airports comes as the DHS funding lapse continues to ripple through aviation security. TSA officers are considered essential personnel and continue screening travelers even when pay is delayed, a dynamic that has increased financial stress on workers and raised concerns about absenteeism and retention.

Details about how ICE personnel will be integrated into airport security processes, what tasks they will perform, and how responsibilities will be separated from TSA screening functions have not been fully clarified publicly. ICE and TSA have distinct missions: TSA is responsible for passenger and baggage screening, while ICE enforces immigration laws and conducts investigations.

For passengers, the most immediate impact remains practical: longer and less predictable checkpoint times, with the potential for sudden spikes during peak departure waves.

What travelers should watch

For Houston-area travelers, the main variables are staffing levels, checkpoint lane availability, and demand peaks driven by weekends, holidays, and irregular operations. The added presence of ICE agents may or may not reduce screening bottlenecks, depending on how the support is structured and whether it increases throughput at TSA checkpoints.

Airports and airlines typically recommend monitoring official airport advisories and planning additional time for curb-to-gate transit when disruptions are expected.