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J.D. Tuccille: U.S. airport security shutdown exposes government inefficiency

While unpaid TSA workers quit and lines grow, private security runs smoothly, proving government is the ultimate single point of failure

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The partial shutdown of the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has now exceeded 50 days as Democrats and Republicans battle over proposed reforms to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) with department funding held hostage. Ironically, ICE agents are unaffected since their agency’s funds were guaranteed by a 2025 tax and spending bill, leaving long lines at airports while unpaid Transportation Security Administration (TSA) agents walk off the job as the most visible sign of the conflict. Also unaffected are airports that opted out of relying on TSA in favour of private security. There’s a lesson to be had in this experience about the foolishness of depending on the state.

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The debate in Washington, D.C. is rooted in legitimate concerns. The Trump administration’s escalated enforcement of immigration rules was controversial even before federal agents killed protesters Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minnesota. The head of DHS has since been replaced and there’s plenty to scrutinize about the way ICE and Border Patrol agents go about their business.

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