ICE Agents to Support Airport Security During DHS Shutdown
US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents will be deployed to airports to assist with the growing security checkpoint lines, according to the Trump administration.
President Donald Trump announced via social media that ICE agents would be sent to airports starting Monday. Border enforcement official Tom Homan informed CNN that his team was finalizing the operational details of this initiative.
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers' union criticized the plan, stating that their members "deserve to be paid, not replaced by untrained, armed agents."
Travelers have experienced extensive delays at airport security checkpoints in recent days due to the ongoing partial government shutdown affecting the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
The DHS has lacked funding since mid-February after Congress failed to reach a funding agreement, resulting in TSA personnel working without pay.
President Trump posted on Truth Social:
"On Monday, ICE will be going to airports to help our wonderful TSA Agents who have stayed on the job."
This announcement followed a Saturday statement from Trump threatening to deploy ICE agents to assist TSA personnel if Democrats did not promptly approve DHS funding.
"I will move our brilliant and patriotic ICE Agents to the Airports where they will do Security like no one has ever seen before," Trump wrote.
Role of ICE Agents in Airport Security
Tom Homan clarified on CNN's State of the Union that ICE agents would not conduct passenger screenings directly.
Instead, ICE agents would be assigned to entry and exit points, thereby allowing TSA officers to focus on their specialized screening duties and reduce wait times.
"That relieves that TSA officer to go to screening and to reduce those lines," Homan explained.
Homan added that coordination with TSA and ICE was ongoing to determine the number of agents involved, with plans to finalize details before deployment on Monday.
Additional Perspectives on ICE Assistance
Transport Secretary Sean Duffy, speaking on ABC News' This Week, suggested a broader role for ICE agents.
"We have ICE agents who are trained and can provide assistance," Duffy said, noting their experience with security machines similar to those used at the southern border for inspecting packages and individuals.
A DHS spokesperson told CBS News, a partner, that the president "is using every tool available" to assist American travelers.
"While the Democrats continue to put the safety, dependability, and ease of our air travel at risk, President Trump is taking action to deploy hundreds of ICE officers, that are currently funded by Congress, to airports being adversely impacted," the spokesperson stated on Sunday.
The BBC has reached out to ICE for comment.
Reactions from Political Leaders and Unions
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries responded to the announcement on Sunday, describing the deployment of ICE agents as "the last thing that the American people need."
"These are untrained individuals when it comes to doing the current job that they have, for the most part - let alone deploying them in close exposure and highly sensitive situations at airports across the country," Jeffries said.
The ongoing DHS funding impasse has resulted in TSA agents working without pay for over a month, contributing to increased absenteeism. The White House reported that more than 400 TSA agents have resigned since the partial shutdown began.
The TSA is responsible for screening passengers and luggage for hazardous items.
Everett Kelley, president of the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), which represents TSA workers, praised TSA members for continuing to work despite the lack of pay.
"Our members at TSA have been showing up every day, without a paycheck, because they believe in the mission of keeping the flying public safe," Kelley said.
"They deserve to be paid, not replaced by untrained, armed agents who have shown how dangerous they can be," he added.
Democratic Demands and Legislative Efforts
Democrats have called for reforms to ICE following incidents in Minnesota where federal agents fatally shot two protesters, Alex Pretti and Renee Good, during immigration raids in January.
They have requested that DHS prohibit immigration agents from wearing face masks, improve identification protocols, and tighten warrant acquisition procedures.
A Senate bill intended to fund DHS and provide pay for TSA agents failed to advance on Friday.
