ATLANTA — As the partial government shutdown drags on, travelers at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport could soon face the return of nightmare security lines if Department of Homeland Security funding dries up in early May.
DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin warned this week that emergency funding rerouted by executive order is nearly exhausted. “That money is dried up,” Mullin said in a Fox News interview. “If I continue down this path, the first week of May.”
Past TSA Chaos at ATL Still Fresh in Travelers’ Minds
During earlier stages of the shutdown, unpaid TSA officers began calling out in large numbers, leaving skeleton crews at checkpoints nationwide.
That made TSA wait times in Atlanta explode in length.
At the world’s busiest airport, security lines stretched for hours. Passengers missed flights as they waited to clear identity checks and bag screenings. Federal ICE agents were enlisted…