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'Lines out to parking garage' at Sea-Tac if TSA sends agents to southern border

caption: Passengers in a security line at San Francisco International Airport.
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Passengers in a security line at San Francisco International Airport.
KUOW Photo / John Ryan

Security lines at Sea-Tac Airport could stretch "out to our parking garage" if the Transportation Security Administration allows its agents to head to the southern border, the airport's chief said.

A Trump Administration plan would send hundreds of TSA workers to the border with Mexico to assist with the thousands of asylum seekers coming across. Airports and lawmakers are worried this could strain the already under-staffed security agency.

On Tuesday the House Homeland Security Subcommittee held a hearing on what they called "The TSA Workforce Crisis: A Homeland Security Risk."

Sea-Tac Airport managing director Lance Lyttle said he's concerned about the airport losing any officers right before the busy summer travel season.

"Significant diversion of TSOs (transportation security officers) would reduce TSA's ability to open all security lanes during morning peak this summer," Lyttle said, "which could result in lines out to our parking garage as often as four to five days a week."

TSA said its employees will free up Border Patrol agents and Customs officers who process migrants. TSA workers will cook meals and help process paperwork.

It’s unclear now how many TSA workers will be re-assigned and which airports they’ll come from.

Memorial Day note: Sea-Tac Airport said if you're traveling this weekend Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday will be the busiest days.

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