(Texas Tribune) – Hundreds of travelers returning from overseas Saturday are complaining about long lines and wait times at DFW Airport.
Many are returning following the travel ban announced by President Donald Trump, in which there's a 30-day suspension of travel between Europe and the United State in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
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"I can see nothing but people for me, for as far as I can see," said Longview resident Dorothy Lowe, who was returning Saturday from Mexico.
Lowe said she got off the plane at 4 p.m. and was still in line at customs waiting to leave the airport at 7 p.m.
She, like others, reported hours-long waits.
"We’re all being herded in the same line standing side-by-side,” Lowe said.
A spokesperson for DFW Airport says the delays are due to a questionnaire issued by the Department of Homeland Security and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Travelers must fill out the questionnaires once they return to the country. At this time, the airport says there's no estimated time of how long it will take for the average traveler to fill it out.
Some of the travelers reported waiting at least three hours in line. And many expressed concerns about being packed into lines so close to other people. The airport's Twitter account responded to many of the online complaints and said hand sanitizer is in all terminals.
Like many others, Lowe said she worries about her health.
“I’m less concerned about having to stand here for the amount of time that I am, and more concerned about where the people are traveling from that are around me and what they may or may not have been exposed to," she said.
@DFWAirport not cool to have over 4K people trapped in a small location at customs trying to get home! My choice to travel but social distancing is not happening! @wfaa pic.twitter.com/2defSDiXuO
— Jennifer Caplinger (@Jcap8033) March 14, 2020