Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers have started to appear at airports in the US, where the ongoing partial government shutdown affecting Transportation Security Administration (TSA) agents is causing delays for travelers.
The Department of Homeland Security has chosen not to disclose which airports are utilizing ICE officers to support TSA agents, citing reasons related to operational security. President Donald Trump announced the deployment of ICE officers to airports starting Monday, in light of the current partial government shutdown.
ICE officers sent to 14 airports
However, White House border czar Tom Homan stated that as of Monday morning, ICE officers had been sent to 14 airports. Homan said that federal officers were present to assist Americans in navigating security lines that have been extended due to the Democrats' decision to shut down the federal government.
{{/usCountry}}However, White House border czar Tom Homan stated that as of Monday morning, ICE officers had been sent to 14 airports. Homan said that federal officers were present to assist Americans in navigating security lines that have been extended due to the Democrats' decision to shut down the federal government.
{{/usCountry}}When asked on Monday whether ICE officers would be conducting immigration-related arrests, Homan clarified that their role was to support TSA agents with security operations. He further stated on Sunday that ICE officers would not be tasked with specialized TSA responsibilities, such as verifying travelers' identification as they enter screening areas.
Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons remarked on Monday in Memphis that federal officers "are going to make sure those lines move"
In a post on Truth Social, Trump requested that ICE officers refrain from wearing masks while “helping our country out of the Democrat caused MESS at the airports.”
Flight Attendants' Union slams ‘ICE invasion’
Nevertheless, leaders from the Flight Attendant Union are insisting that TSA agents receive compensation, as Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has cautioned that delays for travelers navigating security lines will only worsen if the government shutdown persists.
Similarly, the Flight Attendants' Union called the prospect of an "ICE invasion" at airports “another distraction from solutions that protect Americans”, emphasizing that transportation security officers are irreplaceable.
The union asserts that security officers undergo six months of training, during which they learn to screen passengers while assessing and managing risks specific to the airport environment. According to union leaders, this training encompasses the identification of concealed or disassembled weapons and explosives.
A look at US airports where ICE officers are deployed
According to The Associated Press news agency, ICE officers were seen patrolling terminals and standing close to lengthy security lines at:
- George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston.
- Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.
- John F Kennedy International Airport in New York.
- Louis Armstrong International Airport near New Orleans.
- Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey.
Other airports, as per CNN, include:
- Chicago-O’Hare International Airport.
- Cleveland Hopkins International Airport.
- Houston’s William P Hobby Airport.
- LaGuardia Airport (New York).
- Luis Munoz Marin International Airport (San Juan, Puerto Rico).
- Philadelphia International Airport.
- Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport.
- Pittsburgh International Airport.
- Southwest Florida International Airport (Fort Myers, Florida).