Tom Homan, the White House’s “border czar,” claimed the immigration agents have helped reduce wait times at airports.

By David Shepardson WASHINGTON, March 30 (Reuters) - Major U.S. airports that suffered massive disruptions for weeks after 50,000 Transportation Security Administration security officers went unpaid since mid-February say operations are returning to normal.

TSA staffing shortages remain far more severe than the national average, although wait times seemed to be stabilizing Monday.

Most Transportation Security Administration employees have now received at least two periods of back pay they had missed due to the Department of Homeland Security shutdown.

TSA wait times are at a record high and can stretch for hours. But travelers from around the U.S. reported uneven experiences on Wednesday, March 25.

Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers started getting retroactive paychecks Monday for the weeks they have worked without pay during the partial 44-day shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

Happening soon: Guess Who's Coming To Dinner on the Washington Patch calendar

Ground stops lifted at Washington DC area airports after ‘strong smell’ reported at air traffic control tower - A ‘strong smell’ was reported at a Virginia air traffic control center, an FAA spokesper

WASHINGTON, March 26 (Reuters) - The White House is weighing unilateral action to pay Transportation Security Administration officers if the Senate cannot quickly agree to a deal on the Department of Homeland Security's budget,