President Donald Trump has ordered the deployment of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents to major airports across the country. This comes as a deepening staffing crisis at the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) disrupts travel nationwide.
The decision comes amid a prolonged government funding standoff that has left thousands of TSA workers unpaid, triggering mass absenteeism, resignations and long security queues at several major hubs.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said in a statement to Reuters, “President Trump is taking action to deploy hundreds of ICE officers, that are currently funded by Congress, to airports being adversely impacted. This will help bolster TSA efforts to keep our skies safe and minimize air travel disruptions.”
Read more: Partial govt. shutdown: TSA staff work without pay for 2nd time in recent months
Which airports are likely to see ICE deployment?
The number of airports for ICE deployments may vary, according to sources who spoke to Reuters. The DHS did not specify which airports agents will be stationed at for security reasons.
According to PBS, White House border czar Tom Homan said that the priority of deployment would be “the large airports where there’s a long wait, like three hours.”
The New York Times confirmed that ICE officers were present at Newark Liberty International Airport early Monday morning.
Other major cities have been cited by the New York Times from a document obtained by the publication. Here are the names:
- New York-area airports (JFK, LaGuardia): The New York Post reported an “insane” 3-hour wait time at the security check in NYC airports.
- Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson: Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens said that his administration has been informed that ICE agents will be dispatched to Hartsfield-Jackson, per Reuters.
- Houston‘s major terminals: The Houston Chronicle reported nearly four-hour-long wait times at some of the Bush airport terminals.
- Philadelphia International Airport
- Chicago O’Hare Airport
- New Orleans and,
- Phoenix
These airports have reported some of the longest wait times and highest absentee rates among TSA staff.
Homan has described the rollout as a “work in progress,” with final assignments and numbers still being determined.
Read more: Security lines reach parking at Houston airport as TSA agents stop showing up
Are ICE agents up to the task?
Homan stated on Sunday that airport lineups will be shortened by deploying immigration officers to support understaffed TSA crews. Trump also wrote on Truth Social on Sunday, “ICE will do the job far better than ever done before!”
However, the American Federation of Government Employees’ president, Everett Kelley, stated in an online statement on Sunday, “ICE agents are not trained or certified in aviation security. TSA officers spend months learning to detect explosives, weapons, and threats specifically designed to evade detection at checkpoints.”
He further elaborated that TSA agents undergo multiple recertifications for these skills, which require “hands-on practice.”
