U.S. airports face unprecedented chaos as Transportation Security Administration screeners continue working without pay during the government shutdown. Over 400 TSA officers have quit since the shutdown began, while others take second jobs, leaving major hubs like Atlanta and New York with hours-long security lines. Even travelers with TSA PreCheck or Clear clearance face delays.

Senate Republicans proposed a compromise to reopen the Department of Homeland Security while withholding funds for immigration operations that Democrats oppose. The partial shutdown has created a perfect storm of travel disruption - from the Iran conflict driving up jet fuel prices and canceling Middle East flights to ICE agents deployed at airports, unnerving some passengers. One traveler described the experience as "brutal," with terminals closed and people standing for over four hours in the rain.

The crisis deepened with Sunday's fatal collision at LaGuardia Airport, where a regional jet struck a fire truck on a runway still closed for investigation. Air traffic controllers were handling the workload of four people during the night shift, a practice federal regulators have previously flagged as unsafe. As spring break travel peaks and the shutdown drags on, airports nationwide face mounting pressure to restore normal operations.