Computer outage causes long lines at IAH

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- A computer outage at Bush Intercontinental Airport's Terminal E caused a major backup for travelers trying to go through customs on Thursday afternoon.

Officials with the Customs and Border Protection said their computers went down at Terminal E around 4:25pm, prompting authorities to use their secondary protocol technology to process passengers arriving from international cities. They process was much slower because they are checking passengers' passports, paperwork and other documents.

Authorities don't know how many passengers were affected, but ABC13 Christi Myers' husband, Russel Laughead, was among the travelers stuck in the long lines Thursday afternoon.

"The south immigration hall is completely full, the fullest I've ever seen it, and the global entry line, which I've never had a single person ahead of me in that line, and there's probably 25 to 30 people ahead in that line," Laughead said.

Officals say all the computers were back to normal by 8:15pm.

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