Millions Face Travel Chaos as Global Entry & TSA PreCheck Services Grind to a Halt—What You Need to Know

After a 17-day pause that left frequent flyers stewing in airport security lines, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has restarted both Global Entry and TSA PreCheck following a funding gap that partially shut down the agency’s Trusted Traveler Programs. DHS confirmed the systems were switched back on at 5 a.m. ET Wednesday, 11 March 2026, promising “full functionality at enrollment centers and kiosks by midday.” Why the shutdown happened Congress failed to pass a stop-gap spending bill on 22 February, triggering a partial government shutdown that furloughed thousands of DHS employees. With background-check contractors idled, new Global Entry approvals, in-person interviews and many TSA PreCheck renewals were frozen. The backlog ballooned to an estimated 480,000 applications, according to an internal DHS memo seen by Reuters. What’s working again today • Global Entry kiosks: All U.S. airports report the touch-screen portals are accepting arrivals without error. • TSA PreCheck lanes: PreCheck is printing on boarding passes once more; travelers do not need to re-enroll. • Enrollment centers: 80+ centers reopened for interviews; DHS is extending evening hours through March 31 to clear the queue. • Application portal: New and renewal submissions are being processed, though DHS warns of “lingering delays of up to two weeks.” Key dates & timeline • Feb 22 – Funding lapse begins; DHS suspends processing. • Feb 24 – TSA PreCheck still operational at airports, but new approvals stop. • Mar 4 – Average TSA wait times jump 28 percent nationwide, according to the agency. • Mar 10 – Bipartisan budget patch passes Congress; President signs late evening. • Mar 11 – Programs officially restart after overnight system tests. How to check your status 1. Log in at TrustedTraveler.dhs.gov; pending apps will now show a green “In Process” banner. 2. Look for a conditional-approval email before rescheduling an interview. 3. For TSA PreCheck, confirm KTN validity in your airline profile; the number was never deactivated, but some carriers purged expired KTNs during the outage. Tips to speed your next trip • Arrive 15 minutes earlier this week—some PreCheck lanes are still staffed by new hires. • Bring proof of conditional approval to the airport; a few CBP officers are waving applicants through for on-arrival interviews. • Consider CLEAR Plus as an interim fallback if you have an international flight within 72 hours. Will you get compensated? DHS says application fees are “non-refundable,” yet consumer lawyers note that federal law allows fee refunds when the government fails to deliver a service within 90 days. A class-action petition is circulating but has not yet been filed. Industry reaction Airlines for America called the restart “critical to preventing a spring break meltdown,” while the U.S. Travel Association urged lawmakers to “take shutdowns off the table permanently.” CNN reported that several carriers had prepared to charter private security contractors if the outage stretched past April. Bottom line Global Entry and TSA PreCheck are back, but expect residual delays as DHS works through nearly half a million pending applications. Check your Trusted Traveler dashboard, keep boarding passes handy and pad your airport arrival time—at least until the backlog clears.