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TechHomeland Security

Computer outage causes havoc at U.S. airports

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TIME
TIME
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By
TIME
TIME
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October 14, 2015, 9:31 PM ET
U.S. Skies and Roads Busy Ahead Of Memorial Day Weekend
CHICAGO, IL - MAY 23: Passengers wait in line at a security checkpoint at O'Hare Airport May 23, 2014 in Chicago, Illinois. Chicago's O'Hare and Midway International Airports expect 1.5 million passengers over a six-day travel period covering Memorial Day weekend beginning Thursday, May 22 and running through Tuesday, May 27. AAA forecasts the number of drivers taking to the roads for the holiday will hit a 10-year high, with roughly eight in ten Americans taking road trips during the long weekend. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)Photograph by Scott Olson — Getty Images

Tanya Basu/Time

A malfunction with computer systems at airports nationwide caused frustrated travelers to spend hours stuck customs lines.

The problem was with the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) system that checks passenger names against the country’s terror watch lists,according to NBC News.Complaints from customers began to pop up on Twitter at around 7 p.m. and officials told NBC News that the system went back up at about 9:06 p.m.

Affected airports thus far seem to be John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York, Boston’s Logan International, Hartsfield-Jackson International in Atlanta, Dallas Forth-Worth International, and Charlotte’s Douglas International Airport.

Tweets began pouring from passengers finding it impossible to get through customs, with no word from officials about what has caused the delay and whether there would be any relief soon.

The FAA, the New York Port Authority, and U.S. Customs & Border Protection Agency did not immediately respond to requests for comment; the New York Port Authority declined to comment.

This article is published in partnership with Time. It originally appeared on Time.com

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