World's Busiest Airport Hits Wild New Wait Time Milestone as TSA Crisis Deepens

If your travels take you through Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, get ready to wait in long lines.

In the wake of the government shutdown that has resulted in zero paychecks to TSA agents for the last month or so, which has triggered mass quitting and mass call-outs, travelers should expect to wait in long lines, as much as six hours, to get through security.

How Long Are TSA Wait Times?

There are videos and photos circulating on social media showing long lines to get through TSA security. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that travelers have been waiting upwards of five hours, while some social media posts suggest as much as six hours of waiting.

Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, the world's busiest airport, is imploring travelers to arrive at the airport at least four hours before their flight to get through security and not miss their flight.

"Due to current federal conditions, passengers are advised to allow at least 4 hours or more for domestic and international screenings," the airport posted on its website.

One video on social media shows the TSA line stretching out to the parking lot. This eerie scene has been played at airports all across the country, including in New Orleans, where a frustrated police officer was recorded shouting at travelers.

????????Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, the world’s busiest, has suspended all TSA wait-time estimates as lines stretch 6+ hours, forcing travelers to arrive 3–4 hours early or risk missing flights. pic.twitter.com/iPsPyJ7Xy9

— Corefrontline (@corefrontline) March 23, 2026

ICE Agents Arrive at Airports Across the Country

Amid the partial government shutdown, coupled with legislators failing to pass a bill that would have funded TSA and allowed its agents to receive paychecks, the Trump administration deployed ICE agents across various airports.

TSA wait times have increased exponentially over the last month because, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, more than 400 TSA workers have quit. In Atlanta alone, more than 40 percent of TSA agents called out sick on Sunday.

Airports in New Orleans, Dallas, Baltimore, and New York, among others, have seen similar figures.

White House border czar Tom Homan went on CNN on Sunday and confirmed that ICE agents deployed to airports are not trained to perform screening at checkpoints, but that they would instead perform other tasks.

"I don't see an ICE agent looking at an X-ray machine, because (they're) not trained in that," he told CNN. "There are certain parts of security that TSA is doing that we can move them off those jobs and put them in the specialized jobs (to) help move those lines."

The presence of ICE agents, however, has not helped matters.

The Journal-Constitution, with reporters and photographers on the ground, reports that passengers in line at the Atlanta airport on Monday morning observed ICE agents mostly milling around and not performing specific tasks.