Priya Jaiswal brings a formidable depth of experience to the intersection of international finance and government policy, having navigated numerous fiscal cycles that impact global trade and transit. As a recognized authority in market analysis and portfolio management, she possesses a keen understanding of how legislative gridlock in Washington ripples through the private sector, particularly within the sensitive travel and tourism industries. The current partial government shutdown, triggered on February 14, 2026, has created a volatile environment for millions of travelers, as the Department of Homeland Security grapples with a funding lapse that has already shuttered Global Entry services. In this discussion, we explore the logistical strain on airport infrastructure, the erosion of public trust when programs are utilized as political leverage, and the necessary steps for the travel industry to safeguard its interests during periods of administrative instability.
How does the decision to suspend Global Entry while maintaining TSA PreCheck impact airport resource allocation, and what specific staffing constraints force agencies to evaluate operations on a case-by-case basis during a funding lapse?
The decision to shutter Global Entry while keeping TSA PreCheck alive is a strategic move to triage limited personnel during a period of extreme fiscal pressure. By suspending the specialized kiosks and processing for the 20 million Americans enrolled in these programs, the Department of Homeland Security can redirect its frontline officers to the standard customs lanes which serve the vast majority of the traveling public. We see staffing constraints manifesting as a “case-by-case” survival mode, where TSA must constantly shift people based on real-time foot traffic reported via mobile monitoring apps. In practice, this means an officer who would typically monitor a Global Entry kiosk is now physically stationed at a manual passport booth to prevent the general line from stretching into the terminal hallways. This redirection is an attempt to manage the “emergency measures” cited by the administration to preserve what little funding remains while the deportation campaign and immigration reform debates stall in Congress.
With travelers experiencing customs delays increasing from five minutes to over thirty, what are the logistical consequences for connecting flights, and how should international passengers adjust their arrival windows to account for these disruptions?
The jump from a 5-minute processing window to over 30 minutes creates a dangerous domino effect for the hub-and-spoke model used by major airlines. When a passenger who usually breezes through customs in 10 minutes is suddenly stuck for half an hour or more, the likelihood of missing a tight 90-minute connecting flight increases exponentially, potentially leaving travelers stranded for days. Passengers must now treat a 30-minute delay as the “new floor” and should look for metrics like the length of the “U.S. line,” which some travelers have described as winding around four or five corners before even reaching the checkpoint. To mitigate this, international travelers should expand their arrival windows by at least two hours beyond their previous norms and use the TSA mobile app to track wait times, which have remained under 15 minutes at some airports but are highly volatile.
When government agencies use travel programs as leverage in legislative disputes, what are the long-term effects on public trust, and how can the travel industry protect passengers from being used as political pawns during budget negotiations?
Using programs like Global Entry as a “political football” causes a profound erosion of public confidence in government-sponsored efficiency, as citizens feel the services they paid for are being intentionally degraded for leverage. When travelers like those returning from Mexico find themselves redirected into long, winding lines despite their pre-approved status, they correctly perceive that their mobility is being weaponized to force a deal on immigration legislation. The travel industry, represented by groups like Airlines for America and the U.S. Travel Association, must aggressively lobby for the “de-coupling” of essential transit services from broader budget disputes to ensure travelers aren’t caught in the middle. These trade groups can influence resolutions by publicly highlighting the “crisis of the administration’s own making” and demanding that DHS avoid short-notice announcements that leave millions with zero time to adjust their plans.
Given the coincidence of major winter storms and security service suspensions, what contingency plans should airlines prioritize, and how can airports manage the resulting overcrowding when thousands of flights are canceled simultaneously?
The convergence of a partial shutdown and a major winter storm on the East Coast is a “perfect storm” scenario that requires airlines to prioritize flexible rebooking and immediate ground logistics. With nine out of ten flights canceled at major hubs like JFK, LaGuardia, and Logan, airports face a massive overcrowding crisis as thousands of passengers are stuck in terminals with reduced security staff. Carriers must implement a step-by-step communication process: first, issuing proactive alerts via mobile apps at least 12 hours before a storm hits; second, providing digital vouchers for food and lodging to prevent terminal congestion; and third, coordinating with TSA to ensure that the few functioning security lanes stay open for the remaining operational flights. Without this level of coordination, the physical infrastructure of the airport becomes a bottleneck that compromises both safety and passenger well-being.
How does removing courtesy escorts for members of Congress change the dynamic of travel during a shutdown, and what does this shift suggest about the broader relationship between executive oversight and legislative mobility?
Removing courtesy escorts for lawmakers is a deliberate “real-world consequence” designed to force those who hold the purse strings to feel the same friction as the average citizen. By stripping away these administrative perks, the executive branch is signaling that if the public must wait in lines winding around corners, the legislators responsible for the funding lapse should not be insulated from that reality. This shift suggests a breakdown in the traditional professional courtesy between branches of government, transforming airport terminals into a theater of political protest. Historically, such measures are used to heighten the visibility of a closure’s impact, making it impossible for members of Congress to ignore the “kneecapping” of programs that they themselves rely on for secure and efficient travel.
What is your forecast for Global Entry?
I forecast that Global Entry will remain a volatile asset, prone to becoming a recurring target for administrative suspension whenever budget negotiations reach a stalemate. While the program is vital for the 20 million users who value expedited transit, its status as a “premium” government service makes it an easy target for officials looking to demonstrate the “pain” of a shutdown to a high-influence demographic. We will likely see a push for legislative safeguards that would classify Global Entry and TSA PreCheck as “essential services” that cannot be suspended during funding lapses, but until that happens, travelers should expect these programs to be the first things on the chopping block in future fiscal disputes. My advice for readers is to maintain a high level of travel flexibility and never rely solely on expedited programs during the final weeks of a fiscal quarter or in the midst of high-stakes political standoffs.
