Spring break travel delays persist in DFW, nationwide, as TSA struggles during shutdown

As spring break travel winds down, airports across the country are still dealing with heavy crowds and long security lines, amid the partial government shutdown.

"It was really long, it was chaotic, honestly," said Stephanie Flores, who flew back home to DFW from Atlanta. "I think all the staff was already overwhelmed with everything."

At DFW Airport, security wait times reached nearly 50 minutes on Sunday, but some travelers coming from Atlanta said they spent three to four hours just getting through security.

"There were very long lines, like obviously it was just a bunch of crowded space, it was very overstimulating," said Adelaide Peters, who was traveling with her soccer team.

While DFW didn't see the worst of it, delays at other major hubs can create a ripple effect nationwide.

"There was a lot of confusion," said Andy Mahtani, who was in Atlanta visiting his daughter. "They were short-staffed; there was no one really to even explain what the process was."

Since Feb.14, TSA workers have continued to report to work without pay during the partial shutdown. North Texas mother, Yara Sutton, said her sons missed their flight in Atlanta because of the long security lines and had to fly standby on a later flight.

"The TSA issue has been a mess," Sutton said. "I'm so frustrated. It was so, my head hurts. I'm so stressed out. It was a very stressful day today, just trying to get my kids back."

President Trump is now calling for Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to be deployed at airports across the country to assist TSA workers. The administration said ICE officers will undergo some training between now and Monday.

"We don't have any clearance, we don't have no idea what their mission is going to be," said Johnny Jones, with the local chapter of the American Federation of Government Employees Union

Jones said he believes TSA workers are being used as political pawns.

"I definitely have to blame both sides of this equation," said Jones. "We're asking for continued resolution. At this point, you got negotiations just failed, it's time for a continued resolution to keep the government open, and additional funding to pay the TSA officers."

CBS News Texas reached out to ICE, asking how agents would assist TSA and what that would look like. The agency did not directly answer the questions, but said the move would "help bolster TSA efforts to keep our skies safe and minimize travel disruptions."