Wait times at George Bush Intercontinental Airport are expected to worsen over the weekend as agents miss a second paycheck and increasingly call in sick.

Problems at U.S. airports could worsen beyond hours-long security lines and missed flights if Congress does not agree on a way to pay Transportation Security Administration officers. Federal officials have warned that staffing shortages may close some smaller airports to passengers and commercial flights.

ICE agents were deployed to airports around the country on Monday, including at Houston's George Bush Intercontinental and William P. Hobby Airports, after nearly 500 TSA agents quit.

The TSA's top official says the situation at U.S. airports could get even worse if the partial government shutdown​ that has frozen officers' paychecks continues.

It handles more passengers than any other facility in the world. But it wasn’t designed for what we’re experiencing," Atlanta airport General Manager Ricky Smith said.

In partnership with the Bemidji Area Chamber of Commerce, the Bemidji Regional Airport is hosting a pop-up TSA PreCheck enrollment event from 10 a.m. to 5:45 p.m. on Wednesday,

Albany International Airport has avoided the long security lines seen elsewhere as TSA workers face a second missed paycheck.

Robert Mack has been burning through his savings for 41 days and, like many airport security officers, wonders what it will take to get paid. Mack, 46, has worked for the Transportation Security Administration at San Diego International Airport for 23 years.

President Donald Trump announced an emergency order to pay TSA agents who have been working without pay for weeks.