Give me a break. It doesn't require a Manhattan Project to ask more people to unlock their phones. The spin you're putting on this thing is stealing angular momentum from the whole goddamn galaxy.

This could be (and likely was) as simple as a phone call from the powers that be, demanding that "you do this NOW or else". You do know that such things do happen in hierarchies, don't you?

It's not like the TSA has publicly visible and strict guidelines they are held to. All it takes is the word to spread through the DMZ.

Unless the ramp-up isn't actually planned or policy oriented. It could very well be simply related to feelings among agents that they're allowed to do more.

I will grant that ramp down takes immense work, considering the head of CBP hired by Obama last year to reform the organization resigned after the Border Patrol Union went after him.

Not true. The muslim ban for example, was uncoordinated and unclear at first - with lots of TSA confusion.

An indicator that planning took backseat to "decisiveness".