The Transportation Security Administration announced on Sunday that its PreCheck program would continue operating, after stating that the popular expedited screening system would pause during the partial government shutdown.<\/p>\n
The agency now \u201cwill evaluate on a case-by-case basis and adjust operations,\u201d according to the Department of Homeland Security website<\/a>.<\/p>\n DHS had previously said that PreCheck, along with the Global Entry program, would shut down Sunday at 6 a.m. Eastern. The TSA said Sunday that the Global Entry program would pause for the duration of the partial government shutdown. Washington Post first reported<\/a> the new policy changes. <\/p>\n Pausing PreCheck risked significant delays and frustration at airports like LAX, where passengers encountered closed lanes, long lines and confusion on Sunday morning. The PreCheck lanes are used by more than 20 million U.S. citizens, residents and international travelers who fund the system through user fees. An estimated 63,000 TSA employees have been deemed essential and are currently working without pay. <\/p>\n The confusion in policy is a result of a partial government shutdown that began Feb. 14, after Congress could not agree on legislation to fund DHS. The budget fight comes after months of battles over the agency\u2019s policies around immigration, including high-profile deportations and raids that have resulted in deaths, including two U.S. citizens in Minneapolis.<\/p>\n DHS secretary Kristi Noem initially said in a statement announcing the pause on PreCheck that \u201cthe American people depend on this department every day, and we are making tough but necessary workforce and resource decisions to mitigate the damage inflicted by these politicians.\u201d <\/p>\n