The U.S. Congress has finally ended the DHS shutdown.

A total of 76 days. This is the longest record in history.

Should we applaud? But thinking about the travelers waiting at Houston airport during these 76 days of political fighting makes me angry too.

And it's equally frustrating to think about the federal employees who went without pay.

Even though TSA checkpoints were operating normally, they had to drive for Uber to make money because they didn't get paid on payday.

This shutdown, which started on February 14, 2026, began after federal agents shot two American citizens in Minneapolis.

The Democrats demanded guardrails for immigration enforcement agents, while the Republicans refused.

And so, 76 days passed. During that time, TSA employees worked without pay and many ended up quitting, causing chaos at the airports.

Hearing that the security lines at Houston were extending by 2-4 hours, I was reminded that politics is ultimately a system that causes the public to lose precious time.

Interestingly, some ICE and Border Patrol operations continued normally throughout the shutdown. Funding came separately from Trump's "Big Beautiful Bill."

While TSA agents were unable to receive their paychecks and had to take on side jobs, immigration enforcement agents were working and getting paid on time.

This cannot be a coincidence. Nothing shows as clearly as a shutdown what the government prioritizes.

The conclusion is that immigration enforcement is deemed more important than the safety of citizens flying on planes.

And regarding the passed bill, the provision that Democrats demanded, which would have required enforcement agents not to wear masks while on duty, was ultimately removed.

After enduring 76 days over the inconvenience to the public and TSA salaries, it means they couldn't secure their core demands.

However, from the Democrats' perspective, reviewing what they endured for and what they gained, the answers are not very satisfying.

The same goes for the Republicans. They may seem to have won, but the image of the airport chaos caused by the TSA shutdown will linger for a while.

Moreover, with the announcement of a plan to inject an additional $70 billion into immigration enforcement, the message "we prioritize enforcement over citizen convenience" is very clear.

It seems they think of this as a political asset, but the most bitter part of watching this news is that the real losers over these 76 days were not the politicians.

The TSA employees who worked without pay, the passengers who missed their flights while waiting in line, and those who had to quit their main jobs to take on side jobs. Their time and livelihoods were used as bargaining chips.

And when the negotiations are over, the politicians shake hands in front of the cameras again. Until the next shutdown.