Houston airport TSA wait times: Check IAH, Hobby wait time today, March 27

Senate passes funding to address TSA staff shortage

The Senate has approved funding for most of the Department of Homeland Security, including TSA. It does not include funding for immigration operations.

HOUSTON - Wait times to get through TSA security at Houston airports are still hours-long during peak hours and travelers have to arrive hours before their flights.

Here's how to check the wait times at Bush and Hobby Airport.

Check Houston airport wait times

TSA line at Bush Intercontinental Airport Friday morning

George Bush Intercontinental Airport

Travelers at Bush Airport on Friday will experience reduced screening lanes with only Terminal A and E open. Wait times on Friday morning were over three hours.

To check which terminals are open, whether TSA Pre-Check and CLEAR are available and how long the wait is, click here.

William P. Hobby Airport

Security checkpoint wait times at Hobby Airport were under 15 minutes on Friday morning. Travelers are still advised to arrive early.

To check the latest wait times, click here.

RELATED: Houston man launches 'line-sitting' service as TSA wait times soar during partial government shutdown

Why are airports experiencing longer wait times?

Airports across the country are experiencing longer TSA screening wait times amid a partial government shutdown.

Hundreds of thousands of Homeland Security workers, including from the TSA, U.S. Secret Service and Coast Guard, have worked without pay since Congress failed to renew DHS funding last month. That’s led many TSA agents to call in sick — or even quit their jobs — as financial strains pile up. The staffing shortages have forced some airports to close checkpoints at times, with wait times swinging dramatically for travelers.

Funding for the department lapsed Feb. 14, as Democrats refused to fund ICE as well as Customs and Border Protection without changes to their operations in the wake of the deaths of Alex Pretti and Renee Good in Minneapolis.

Democrats are continuing to demand major changes to federal immigration operations — including policy changes that would require ICE officers to get a warrant from a judge before forcefully entering homes, the removal of masks and clear identifying information on uniforms.

Senate approves funding on Friday

The Senate early Friday reached a deal to fund the Department of Homeland Security, which includes funds for the Transportation Security Administration and most other agencies, but not the immigration operations at the heart of the budget impasse.

The deal in the Senate needs to be approved by the House, where Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., holds a slim majority. Passage will almost certainly require bipartisan support, as lawmakers on the left and right flanks revolt.