TSA PreCheck Remains Active
There is significant development for those traveling in the next few days, weeks or even longer than that. Trusted Traveler Programs are being affected by the ongoing partial government shutdown. It was initially reported that TSA PreCheck and Global Entry would both be suspended, but that has changed with only the latter being shut down.
The good news for domestic travelers is that TSA PreCheck is still operational. Despite earlier uncertainty, the TSA told Reuters that PreCheck “remains operational with no change for the traveling public. As staffing constraints arise, TSA will evaluate on a case-by-case basis and adjust operations accordingly.”
On the other, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has officially suspended Global Entry operations as of 6:00 AM EST today, February 22. If you are returning to the U.S. from abroad, the biometric kiosks will be unavailable. You will be required to join the regular passport control lines, which will likely result in significantly longer wait times.
If you are traveling while Global Entry is suspended, or if you do not have Global Entry at all, I would suggest getting the Mobile Passport Control (MPC) app.
