I want to tell you about the worst travel day of my life.
It was a Saturday morning in Savannah, Georgia. I had been planning this move to Mérida, Mexico for months. I had spreadsheets. I had checklists. I had a color-coded packing system that I was genuinely proud of. I had researched everything — or so I thought.
What I had not researched was how to fly internationally with two terrified cats, a teenage daughter who had made her feelings about this move abundantly clear, through a hurricane that had apparently decided to escort us personally out of the country.
The hurricane followed us from Georgia all the way to the Yucatán Peninsula. Our first days in Mérida were rain-soaked and disorienting in a way I had not anticipated. The stores were closed. The restaurants were shuttered. We were hungry, exhausted, culture-shocked, and surrounded by boxes we did not have the energy to open. My daughter looked at me with the specific expression that only teenagers can achieve — the one that says I told you so without a single word being spoken.
I survived. We survived. And five years later Mérida is home in a way that Savannah never quite was.
But I learned something on that trip that I want to share with you now — especially if you are planning international travel in 2026, a year in which the American airport experience has become something that requires real preparation, real patience, and a survival guide written by someone who has actually been through it.
Consider this that guide.
What Is Happening at American Airports Right Now
Let me be direct with you because the situation is real and it is affecting travelers every single day.
Since mid-February 2026, the Department of Homeland Security has been operating under a partial government shutdown. The Transportation Security Administration is experiencing the longest wait times in its 24-year history, with waits at some major airports exceeding four hours and TSA employees calling out at rates of 40 to 50 percent.
Roughly 61,000 TSA employees have been working without pay, and nearly 500 have quit since the shutdown began. These are people sleeping in cars and selling blood plasma to afford gas to get to work — and they are still showing up to screen your luggage. That context matters.
To add to the chaos, the Trump administration deployed Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to 14 major US airports, including Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International, both Houston airports, and John F. Kennedy International in New York. ICE agents are not trained TSA screeners — they cannot operate X-ray machines but have been assigned to guard exits, manage crowd control, and verify traveler IDs.
The good news is that as of late March, TSA wait times began improving slightly after the agency was authorized to resume paying employees, with DHS beginning to send back pay to workers. But recovery is slow. Arriving two hours in advance for domestic flights and three hours for international is no longer enough at many airports. Plan for four to five hours before international departure. Download the MyTSA app before you go — it shows real-time wait times by airport so you can adjust accordingly.
The ICE Presence — What You Actually Need to Know
This section is for everyone, not just immigrants. The presence of federal immigration enforcement agents at airport security checkpoints is new territory for most American travelers and it is worth understanding before you walk through those doors.
ICE operates under federal authority including 8 U.S.C. § 1357, which permits immigration officers to question, arrest, and inspect individuals at ports of entry — and airports qualify as ports of entry under federal law.
Here is what that means practically:
You have the right to remain silent beyond providing basic identification. You are not required to disclose your immigration history, country of origin, or travel purpose to ICE agents beyond what is legally required. If you are a US citizen, you may state that clearly but you are not obligated to answer further questions.
Do not sign anything without understanding it fully. Signing documents without legal advice could waive important rights or even constitute agreement to voluntary departure.
If you are approached, stay calm, be polite, and do not physically resist. Ask clearly: "Am I free to leave?" If the answer is no, ask "Why am I being detained?" and request an attorney before answering any further questions.
Protect your devices. Turn off biometrics such as Face ID and fingerprints and power off your phone before arriving at the airport. Print out a paper boarding pass either before heading to the airport or at a kiosk as soon as you enter.
Carry your documents. US citizens should carry a valid passport. Non-citizens should carry all relevant immigration documentation. While not required for domestic travel, it is advisable to carry a passport, most recent I-94, and any applicable approval notices, as having these documents available can help resolve questions more efficiently if they arise.
Your Pre-Airport Checklist
Before you leave for the airport — and I mean days before, not the morning of — work through this list:
Your passport. Check the expiration date right now. Many countries require six months of validity beyond your travel dates. If your passport expires within six months of your return date, renew it before you book anything.
REAL ID compliance. The federal law requiring flyers to carry a REAL ID went into effect on May 7, 2025. If you are not in compliance but still need to fly, you can pay a $45 TSA ConfirmID fee to use an alternative identity verification system. Check your state ID — most newly issued cards are compliant but older ones may not be.
TSA PreCheck or Global Entry. This is not optional anymore — it is essential. During normal security operations, roughly 99% of passengers with PreCheck wait less than 10 minutes. During a shutdown with four-hour lines, PreCheck is the difference between making your flight and missing it. Apply at tsa.gov. Global Entry includes PreCheck and adds expedited customs processing when you return to the US — worth every penny.
Travel insurance. Do not skip this. Flight delays, cancellations, and missed connections are happening at record rates. A good travel insurance policy covers rebooking fees, emergency accommodation, and medical emergencies abroad. Your US health insurance almost certainly does not cover you outside the country.
Arrive extraordinarily early. For international flights right now — plan for five hours minimum at any major hub. This is not excessive. This is survival.
Getting to and From the Airport
Here is something I wish someone had told me before my Savannah departure: the chaos does not start at the security line. It starts in the parking lot, the rideshare pickup zone, and the departures drop-off area — all of which become gridlocked when security lines back up into the terminal and spill outside.
Book your airport transportation in advance. Do not plan to hail a rideshare in real time from the terminal — surge pricing during travel disruptions can be shocking, and wait times unpredictable. (Intui— rideshare/car service partner)
If you are driving yourself, book airport parking in advance through SpotHero or ParkWhiz — rates are significantly lower than day-of garage parking and you can often find covered spots closer to the terminal than you would expect.
The eSIM — The One Thing I Wish I Had Known
When I landed in Mérida with my daughter, two traumatized cats, and approximately zero bars of cell service, I stood in the airport trying to figure out how to contact anyone while also managing a teenage human and two carriers of angry animals. It was not my most composed moment.
Do not be me.
Before you board your international flight, activate an eSIM for your destination country. An eSIM is a digital SIM card that loads directly onto your phone — no physical card, no fumbling at a foreign airport kiosk, no exorbitant roaming charges from your American carrier. You purchase it online before you leave, activate it when you land, and you have immediate local data service the moment you step off the plane.
This matters more than people realize. You need data the second you arrive — for your ride from the airport, for maps, for translation, for contacting your accommodation, for telling someone you landed safely. (Yesim— eSIM partner)
When You Arrive: What to Expect on the Other End
Leaving American airport chaos is one thing. Arriving in another country with your documents in order is another — and the requirements have changed significantly in 2026.
Know your visa situation before you book. Entry requirements vary enormously by destination. US citizens can enter Mexico without a visa for tourism stays up to 180 days — you will complete a tourism card called the Forma Migratoria Múltiple either online before you travel or on the plane. Keep this document. You will need it when you leave.
For Europe, take note: 30 European countries will start enforcing the European Travel Information and Authorisation System, known as ETIAS, in late 2026, requiring US citizens to obtain travel authorization before entering the Schengen Area. It is not a visa but it is a required pre-registration — do not skip it. Similarly, the UK's electronic travel authorization became strictly mandatory from February 25, 2026, priced at £16 and valid for two years.
Have printed copies of everything. Your passport. Your return ticket or onward travel documentation. Your accommodation confirmation for at least the first night. Your travel insurance policy. Your eSIM information. Yes, printed. On paper. In a folder. When your phone dies or your data fails — and at some point it will — paper saves you.
Go through customs calmly and truthfully. Declare what needs to be declared. Do not attempt to bring quantities of food, plants, or animal products through customs without researching the specific rules of your destination country. Each country has different restrictions and the fines for non-compliance are real.
Transportation from the airport. In most countries, the safest option from an international airport is either a licensed airport taxi from the official taxi stand inside the terminal or a pre-booked transfer. Do not accept rides from people who approach you in the arrivals hall — this is a well-documented scam in many destinations. Research your specific airport's official ground transportation options before you land. (Get Transfer— rideshare/transfer partner)
The Emotional Reality Nobody Prepares You For
I want to say something here that most travel guides do not.
The first hours in a new country — especially if you are moving there rather than vacationing — can feel profoundly disorienting in ways that have nothing to do with logistics. Even when everything goes according to plan. And when nothing goes according to plan, as in my case, with a hurricane and two cats and a daughter who had emotionally checked out somewhere over the Gulf of Mexico — it can feel genuinely destabilizing.
Those first rain-soaked days in Mérida, hungry and exhausted with stores closed all around us, I had a specific kind of quiet in my body that I had been carrying for years. The stillness of having made a decision that most people in my life did not understand. The weight of being entirely responsible for four lives I loved — my daughter's and my own and yes our cats — in a country where I did not yet speak the language fluently.
What I know now that I did not know then is that this feeling — this particular combination of exhaustion and uncertainty and stubborn rightness — is what expansion actually feels like from the inside. It does not feel like triumph. It feels like Wednesday in a rainstorm when the grocery store is closed.
But you get through Wednesday. And then Mérida opens up like it has been waiting for you.
I share this because if you are planning international travel right now — especially in the current political climate, when flying out of America itself has become an act of navigation — the logistics are only part of it. The other part is the energetic reality of doing something that requires real courage.
That is work I know something about. 🌿
Your Complete International Travel Checklist for 2026
60 to 90 days before: — Check passport expiration — must be valid 6 months beyond return date — Apply for TSA PreCheck or Global Entry if you do not have it — Research destination visa and entry requirements — Purchase travel insurance — Book airport transportation in advance
2 to 4 weeks before: — Check State Department travel advisories at travel.state.gov — Register with the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) at step.state.gov — free, and the US embassy will contact you in an emergency — Purchase and set up your eSIM — Research ground transportation options at your destination airport — Make printed copies of all documents
48 hours before: — Download the MyTSA app and check wait times at your departure airport — Confirm your transportation to the airport — Check in online if your airline allows it — Charge all devices — Turn off Face ID and fingerprint access on your phone
Day of travel: — Arrive 4 to 5 hours early for international flights at major hubs — Print your boarding pass — Carry your documents in an easily accessible but secure location — Stay calm, be patient, know your rights
Terry Thomas is a distance reiki practitioner, herbalist, and holistic wellness guide based in Mérida, Mexico. She has lived and worked internationally for five years and writes about intentional living, holistic healing, and the beautiful strangeness of building a life that actually fits. Her full range of distance healing services is available at blacklionbotanicals.com.
Sources & Further Reading
CNN. "Talks to fund DHS intensify as airport wait times continue to be unpredictable." March 24, 2026. cnn.com
NPR. "Travelers are facing the longest TSA wait times in history." March 25, 2026. npr.org
CNN. "ICE agents take a more active role in airport security, but long lines persist." March 26, 2026. cnn.com
CNBC. "TSA wait times: MyTSA app offers wait times by airport in the U.S." March 29, 2026. cnbc.com
CNN. "TSA wait times: Airport wait times plummet from hours to minutes as TSA workers start getting back pay." March 30, 2026. cnn.com
Yahoo Finance. "Americans just endured a nightmare week of travel. It's not going to get better anytime soon." March 28, 2026. finance.yahoo.com
NBC News. "U.S. airports changing arrival time guidance for travelers as TSA chaos continues." March 29, 2026. nbcnews.com
Minsky, McCormick & Hallagan. "ICE Presence at U.S. Airports: What Immigrants Need to Know." March 2026. mmhpc.com
Asian Law Caucus. "Know Your Rights at Airports: International and Domestic." Updated March 23, 2026. asianlawcaucus.org
Papers, Please! "Your rights when an airport checkpoint is staffed by ICE agents." March 22, 2026. papersplease.org
KQED. "ICE in Airports: What Are Your Rights?" March 2026. kqed.org
Reddy Neumann Brown PC. "ICE at Airports: What Nonimmigrant Visa Holders Need to Know." March 2026. rnlawgroup.com
Francis Law Center. "ICE at Major Airports: Safety Tips for Immigrants and Advance Parole Holders." April 2026. francislawcenter.com
City Bureau. "Know your rights: ICE at the airport." March 25, 2026. citybureau.org
National Geographic. "What you need to know about domestic and international travel in 2026." December 2025. nationalgeographic.com
VisasNews. "Visa, ETA, arrival card: What new travel requirements are coming in 2026?" December 2026. visasnews.com
U.S. Department of State. "International Travel Checklist." travel.state.gov
USAGov. "Visa requirements for U.S. citizens traveling abroad." usa.gov
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