TSA Official Warns of Airport Closures and World Cup Risk as DHS Shutdown Hits 40 Days

TSA official Ha Nguyen McNeill testified before Congress on March 25, 2026, warning that the DHS partial shutdown — now in its 40th day — had caused the agency to lose more than 480 transportation security officers, with attrition accelerating. At some airports, 40 to 50 percent of the workforce was calling out on certain days, producing the highest TSA wait times in history, with some waits exceeding four and a half hours. Acting deputy administrator Adam Stahl described conditions as 'dire,' noting workers were sleeping in cars and drawing blood to afford gas to get to work. TSA also warned that staffing shortages could jeopardize airport readiness for the FIFA World Cup. The shutdown was triggered by Democratic opposition to ICE accountability following the January 24 fatal shooting of Minneapolis nurse Alex Pretti by DHS law enforcement.