San Diego International Airport is feeling the squeeze of the partial government shutdown, with security wait times ballooning to as much as 80 minutes over the weekend — far above the usual 20- to 30-minute norm.
The shutdown, now in its 40th day, has left roughly 50,000 TSA employees across the country working without pay. In San Diego, unplanned absences have surged from about 20 officers per day before the shutdown to 70 to 80 per day, according to Aaron Vazquez, a TSA lead transportation security officer at SAN and assistant airport steward for AFGE Local 1260.
"Officers have to take matters into their own hands and not come to work," Vazquez told KPBS via City News Service. "They are stressed, they are coming to me saying 'what can I do?' They can't afford gas to get to work."
President Trump on Sunday ordered ICE agents to assist with airport security at select locations, and by Monday they were deployed to 14 airports nationwide. However, none of the 14 airports are in California, and San Diego International is not on the list.
Local officials pushed back on the concept regardless. City Councilwoman and Airport Authority Board Member Marni von Wilpert said ICE's presence would make travel "more chaotic, more stressful, and less secure." Rep. Scott Peters, D-Poway, shared a photo of long lines at SAN on Sunday morning, calling on Congress to fund TSA workers.
Vazquez was blunt about the deployment: "I have no idea how they can contribute at an airport unless it was for intimidation purposes. What are they going to do, find somebody and shoot them?"
The San Diego County Regional Airport Authority has issued a travel advisory urging passengers to arrive at least two hours before domestic flights and three hours before international departures. Airport spokeswoman Nicole Hall noted that spring break travel is compounding the delays.
Before the shutdown, about 500 to 550 TSA officers were available to screen travelers each day in San Diego. With absenteeism spiking, passengers should expect continued delays until Congress reaches an agreement to fund DHS operations.
Source: KPBS