Bourbonnais woman had planned big family trip to Cayman Islands, but passports have never come

BOURBONNAIS, Ill. (CBS) -- If you're hoping to travel anytime soon, it might be a good idea to check your passport.

The U.S. State Department now predicts turnaround times of up to 13 weeks. But some travelers say even that is an underestimate.

As CBS 2's Sabrina Franza reported Thursday night, a Bourbonnais woman is supposed to go to the Cayman Islands with her family this weekend. But her kids' passports have not come.

"We have our flights – and it wasn't weren't cheap," said Amie Byrne. "It was something that we saved for."

Byrne had the trip to the Cayman Islands planned for Saturday – kids, parents, grandparents – they were all supposed to go.

"Booked a house, huge house in Rum Point," Byrne said. "It's gorgeous."

This trip was supposed to be a special one. The Cayman Islands are Byrne's parents' favorite place in the world – and they wanted to share that place with the whole family, for what could be the last time.

"My dad was diagnosed with vascular dementia, which is extremely rare, and it's going to get to a point where he doesn't know who we are," Byrne said, "and this is their place. This is where they love to go."

Byrne's two youngest children didn't have updated passports. She tried expedited processing, and said she was promised "a four- to six-week turnaround."

Next came radio silence.

Byrne contacted her U.S. senator and congressman – to no avail. She also tried making an appointment at the State Department's Chicago Passport Agency at 101 W. Ida B. Wells Dr. downtown.

"I'd been calling, calling, calling, calling," she said. "I get hung up on. They tell you that they're not accepting phone calls at this time."

Then she just went to the office.

"You're not allowed in. They have security everywhere They're pretty mean about it," Byrne said. "You can't get inside the doors. Doors are locked."

Byrne reiterated that the trip is so important because she doesn't know if it's going to be her dad's last trip to the Cayman Islands.

"I know it's like a first-world problem thing," she said, "but it's just – it's sad that we're doing everything right and there's nothing to be done."

CBS 2 reached out to the State Department. A spokesperson told us they are seeing unprecedented demand – with 22 million new passports last year, and being on track to break that figure in 2023.

The State Department is now recommending 10 to 13 weeks for routine processing, and seven to nine weeks with expedited processing – for an extra $60. That does not include mailing times.

The State Department did not answer our question about the Chicago office, and why walk-ins were not accepted.