Washington, Mar 25 (EFE).– Ha Nguyen McNeill, acting administrator of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) in charge of airport security in the United States, stated on Wednesday that even if the current chaos at US airports were resolved, the new security agents the agency plans to hire would not be ready before the start of the World Cup.
McNeill asserted that a large influx of travelers is expected in the United States during the tournament dates (June 11-July 19) and described the situation as a “perfect storm.”
“This is a dire situation. We are facing a potential, perfect storm of severe staffing shortages and an influx of millions of passengers at our airports in less than 80 days,” she said, explaining that certifying new officers takes four to six months.
“If we see any spikes, we’re going to have to pivot and assess how we are going to staff the FIFA locations adequately,” McNeill added.
In an appearance before Congress, the official stated that more than 480 airport security agents have left the agency since the partial shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security, the agency to which the TSA reports.
McNeill stressed that the third shutdown this fiscal year has crippled the agency.
“This Friday, we will have reached nearly one billion in missed paychecks,” she told members of Congress.
“Many in our workforce have missed bill payments, received eviction notices, had their cars repossessed and utilities shut off, lost their childcare, defaulted on loans, damaged their credit line, and drained their retirement savings. Some are sleeping in their cars, selling their blood and plasma, and taking on second jobs to make ends meet,” she added.
The 2026 World Cup, also co-hosted by Mexico and Canada, is expected to draw between 6 and 6.5 million spectators, according to FIFA estimates.
The United States will host approximately 75% of the matches. The US tourism sector estimates that more than 1.24 million international fans will travel to the country, not counting US residents who will also travel within the country to attend the matches.
The situation at US airports has worsened in recent days to such an extent that McNeill stated they are experiencing “the longest wait times in history” as a result of the partial shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security.
She also revealed that the absence of agents has skyrocketed to over 40% at some airports since the shutdown began five weeks ago.
Democrats have refused to provide more public funding unless certain operational aspects of the DHS’s immigration raids are changed, in reaction to the deaths of two US citizens shot by federal agents during large-scale operations against immigrants in Minnesota in January. EFE
acd/mcd
