TSA is one key agency affected by this shutdown, with officers forced to work without pay.
TSA officers wait to screen travelers on the new Rohde & Schwarz QPS201 millimeter-wave security system at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport on Friday, January 16, 2026 (Ben Hendren/AJC)
Funding for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security is set to expire this weekend, setting up another partial federal government shutdown that could disrupt air travel for Americans.
It will leave essential workers required to work without pay, including at the Transportation Security Administration and Customs and Border Protection, as travelers across the country prepare for upcoming school winter break travel.
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TSA and CBP are hit, not air traffic control
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A TSA officer is seen assisting a traveler at the Main Check Point at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, with no wait time on Monday, Jan. 26, 2026 amid an ice storm. According to TSA, passenger volume dropped 24% from the previous Saturday, marking the lowest level of the year. (Miguel Martinez/AJC)
Passenger security wait impact
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Long term ramifications
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As a business reporter, Emma Hurt leads coverage of the Atlanta airport, Delta Air Lines, UPS, Norfolk Southern and other travel and logistics companies. Prior to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution she worked as an editor and Atlanta reporter for Axios, a politics reporter for WABE News and a business reporter for the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.
