<p>WASHINGTON &mdash; Homeland Security Secretary <a href="https://apnews.com/article/alejandro-mayorkas-homeland-security-b55d5eef10e3dc36830d85adca67aaba">Alejandro Mayorkas</a> says people traveling for <a href="https://apnews.com/article/virus-outbreak-holidays-us-news-ap-top-news-memorial-day-8f9cdd256395f4697b891cced6966fff">Memorial Day weekend</a> should be patient because there will be long lines at U.S. airports. </p>
<p>The Transportation Security Administration has been in a hiring surge so it can be ready for increased travel this weekend and over the summer as the nation emerges from <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic">the coronavirus pandemic</a>, Mayorkas told ABC’s “Good Morning America” on Friday.</p>
<p>“People will see lines because there’s going to be a tremendous amount of people traveling this weekend,” Mayorkas said. “Patience is required.”</p>
<p>Also required are masks, he added.</p>
<p>“The mask mandate is a federal mandate in airports and on airplanes," he said. “That’s going to hold true probably until mid-September.”</p>
<p>Airline executives say <a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-health-lifestyle-travel-business-319168ebd34116afa1fb48de7d862f4a">domestic leisure travel is at pre-pandemic levels</a>, and the number of people passing through U.S. airports daily is likely to top 2 million before the week is over — the first time that has happened since early March 2020.</p>