Travelling to the US this week? Here’s how the shutdown could ruin your plans

If you’re jetting off to the United States this week, the ongoing government shutdown may not just be another headline, it could hit your trip hard.

Flights first. Air traffic controllers and TSA agents are still on duty, but they’re working without pay. The last time this happened, many called in sick, leaving travellers stranded in long queues and delayed flights. Don’t be surprised if the same chaos returns at airports.

Trains and buses safe… for now. Amtrak and local transit like subways, buses and ferries, are expected to run normally since they aren’t federally funded.

Tourist spots under threat. The US Interior Department says national parks will stay “partially” open. In Washington and New York, the Smithsonian museums and National Zoo have only enough cash to stay open for one more week.

Back in 2018, a similar shutdown cost the Smithsonian nearly a million visitors.

For Nigerians heading to the US for holidays, studies or business, the message is simple: plan ahead, expect delays, and check if the attractions on your bucket list will even be open.

It all started in the early hours of Tuesday, as chaos swept through Washington after the United States government officially shut down after budget negotiations collapsed on Capitol Hill.

The shutdown, the first under President Donald Trump’s second term, has left hundreds of thousands of federal employees in limbo. From defense to health, workers were told to stay home, while essential services grind on under strained resources.

Trump doubled down on threats of sweeping job cuts if Congress fails to pass a spending bill that aligns with his administration’s priorities. The impasse has now thrown America into another round of political brinkmanship, with the lives of ordinary workers hanging in the balance.