They’re at the gates … of hell.
Weary passengers were subjected to three-hour wait times at LaGuardia Airport Wednesday with security lines snaking around terminals — and even to parking garages — on the 40th day of the partial government shutdown.
A California dad with his wife and 6-year-old child said earlier in the day the congestion to simply pass through security at the Queens travel hub was the worst he’s ever seen.
“And I travel a lot,” said Erik Brazil, 56. “We left ourselves three and a half hours.
“I was checking on the LaGuardia website and they said 15 to 20 minutes. I saw the news and I told the car service to show up at the hotel in Manhattan at least an hour early so we’d make it. I’m hoping we do make it.”
“It’s all politics and I got to say they’re not building any goodwill with the people, at least the people who have been in an airport,” Brazil added.
The painful wait times come even as President Trump deployed Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers to help TSA agents who haven’t been paid in more than a month, thanks to a Democratic-led impasse in Congress.
Oliver Raab arrived with his 7-month-old infant before the line exponentially grew.
“We’re lucky. We got here an hour ago. Now the line is much, much longer,” the 33-year-old dad said.
“They are telling people now it’ll be three hours. Crazy! Some people with babies are waiting on this line three hours now.”
Toronto resident Yaroslav Tretyakov, 37, was trying to reach a business conference in Kentucky, but was struggling to get on a plane on time.
“I’ve been to LaGuardia many times and never this. This is not a one-hour line not even a two-hour line,” he said.
He didn’t think ICE agents were relieving any congestion.
A Post reporter was also stuck in line for two hours and 15 minutes before he was patted down by TSA agents.
At check-in where security scans IDs, an ICE officer was standing next to a TSA worker while another ICE officer was standing in front of an unused scanner, The Post observed.
Other ICE agents patrolled the terminal as flyers filled up the facility.
Acting TSA Administrator Ha Nguyen McNeill said during a House hearing Wednesday that ICE agents are involved in “non-specialized screening functions.”
“They’re helping us [with] different functions, including queue management, helping out with exit lanes, staffing, divesting, giving passengers instructions on how to load up their bins, and all of that,” she told Congress.
“And then, helping operate the travel document checker as well. And all of these require certain levels of training.”
Nearly 500 TSA officers have left the job since they stopped receiving paychecks with thousands more calling out, according to federal officials.
The callout rate for TSA agents on Tuesday was a shocking 11.14%, according to the latest available figures provided by the agency.
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Bush Airport in Houston warned flyers on its website to arrive as early as four hours before their flight is expected to leave with one terminal having a 90-minute wait while another had a 120-minute wait Wednesday afternoon.
“We see the families arriving early and waiting for hours. We see missed flights. We see missed moments, weddings, vacations, time with loved ones,” said Jim Szczesniak, director of aviation for the Houston Airport System, according to CNN.
The refusal to fully fund the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees TSA, comes as Democrats call for reforms to immigration enforcement.
“As Democrats continue to put the safety, reliability, and efficiency of air travel at risk, President Trump is taking action—deploying hundreds of ICE officers, already funded by Congress, to support airports facing the greatest strain. This step will strengthen TSA operations, help keep our skies safe, and reduce disruptions for the traveling public,” said Lauren Bis, acting assistant secretary for DHS public affairs.
