The Department of Homeland Security initially planned to temporarily suspend TSA PreCheck but reversed the decision after the White House intervened. The agency had announced the plan as part of its response to the ongoing government shutdown. However, after swift backlash from Democrats and air travel industry groups, DHS decided not to proceed with the suspension.
The plan was conceived by DHS Secretary Kristi Noem and her top adviser Corey Lewandowski, but it was met with criticism from lawmakers and industry leaders. The White House spokesperson referred questions to the Department of Homeland Security, while a DHS spokesperson declined to comment on whether the decision was influenced by external factors.
In addition to reversing the TSA PreCheck suspension, DHS also announced that Global Entry would remain paused due to the ongoing shutdown. The agency’s top spokesperson has recently announced her departure, and DHS is experiencing high turnover rates amidst criticism of Noem’s management style.
DHS Secretary Kristi Noem has faced scrutiny over her handling of immigration enforcement operations, including the killing of U.S. citizen Alex Pretti in Minneapolis by federal immigration agents.
Source: https://www.washingtonpost.com/immigration/2026/02/23/dhs-reversed-tsa-precheck-pause