TSA Reverses Course on PreCheck and Partial Shutdown

While it isn’t as wide-ranging as the 2025 federal government shutdown, it’s worth remembering that the U.S. is in the middle of a partial shutdown. What are the ramifications of that? Well, there might be some if you’re an air traveler who pays for a service like PreCheck or Global Entry. On the other hand, there might not. Within the span of around 12 hours this weekend, the TSA provided conflicting information on the matter, presumably frustrating travelers — some of whom are already navigating the effects of an oncoming blizzard.

On Saturday, NBC News was among the news outlets reporting that the TSA would temporarily suspend programs like PreCheck that can cut down on air travelers’ wait times going through security checkpoints. In a statement, Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem criticized Democrats in Congress called the temporary closures “tough but necessary workforce and resource decisions to mitigate the damage inflicted by these politicians.”

More cynically, the decision looked like a way to attempt to turn public sentiment in favor of ending the shutdown via inconveniencing countless travelers. The changes were supposed to go into effect on Sunday morning; instead, that morning brought reports that the DHS had changed course on the matter after . PBS reported that PreCheck, at least, would continue as before.

“As staffing constraints arise, TSA will evaluate on a case by case basis and adjust operations accordingly,” the agency told PBS in a statement.

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That’s good news for travelers flying — at least it is for some of them. While PreCheck remains in effect, Global Entry is not. Late on Sunday morning, Madeleine Ngo and Yan Zhuang of The New York Times reported that Global Entry “remained suspended.” The Department of Homeland Security’s website listed the temporary suspension of the program as one of three measures it was currently taking as a result of the shutdown.

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Tobias Carroll

Tobias Carroll lives and writes in New York City, and has been covering a wide variety of subjects — including (but not limited to) books, soccer and drinks — for many years. His writing has been published by the likes of the Los Angeles Times, Pitchfork, Literary Hub, Vulture, Punch, the New York Times and Men’s Journal. At InsideHook, he has…