O’Hare Airport’s Fast Lanes to Pause Amid DHS Shutdown: What Travelers Need to Know

In an unexpected turn of events, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has confirmed that its PreCheck services will continue to operate as usual. This comes despite initial statements from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) suggesting otherwise.

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Over the weekend, DHS had declared that both TSA PreCheck and Global Entry services would be halted due to the ongoing partial government shutdown. The suspension was scheduled to commence early Sunday morning, at 5 a.m. local time. However, eyewitness accounts from Chicago’s ABC7 reported that travelers were still navigating through security without any disruptions by 6 a.m.

In response to the confusion, TSA later clarified that there would be no changes to the PreCheck service. “TSA will evaluate on a case-by-case basis and adjust operations accordingly,” a spokesperson assured in an official statement.

While TSA PreCheck remains unaffected, DHS has made cuts elsewhere. Notably, they have suspended courtesy escorts, including those for members of Congress, to ensure officers are fully focused on their primary responsibility: securing America’s skies.

“TSA will evaluate on a case by case basis and adjust operations accordingly,” a TSA spokesperson said in a statement.

The updated announcement added that courtesy escorts, such as those for members of Congress, were suspended “to allow officers to focus on the mission of securing America’s skies.”

The partial government shutdown began Feb. 14, after lawmakers failed to reach a deal on funding for DHS following growing calls to change immigration operations.

On Saturday, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said in a statement that “shutdowns have serious real world consequences.” She also said that “TSA and CBP are prioritizing the general traveling population at our airports and ports of entry and suspending courtesy and special privilege escorts.”

The video in the player above is from a previous report.