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ICE agents step in as TSA staff shortages cripple airports
Hundreds of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers have been sent to major US airports to assist with security operations as thousands of unpaid Transportation Security Administration (TSA) agents refuse to work amid an ongoing government shutdown.
Shutdown triggers mass TSA call-outs
The partial federal shutdown, which began on 14 February, has left TSA employees without pay for weeks, leading to a sharp rise in absences. On Sunday, over 3,400 TSA agents nationwide called out of work, exacerbating already severe delays at airport checkpoints.
At Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport, 42.3% of TSA staff reported absent, while Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport saw a 41.5% call-out rate. Similar shortages were reported at Houston's George Bush Intercontinental Airport and Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport, where more than a third of staff failed to show up.
Passengers face hours-long waits, overnight stays
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) warned that extended wait times have forced some travelers to sleep in terminals to avoid missing flights. Airlines have advised passengers to arrive at least three to four hours early to navigate the delays.
In a letter to Congress on Monday, more than 100 airport leaders expressed deep concern over the shutdown's impact, calling the disruptions "significant, growing, and potentially long-lasting." The Airports Council International urged immediate action to end the shutdown.
ICE agents assist with crowd control, not passenger screening
White House border official Tom Homan confirmed that ICE agents have been deployed to 14 airports, including New York's John F. Kennedy and Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson. Photos showed agents at these locations without masks, a departure from their usual enforcement attire.
President Donald Trump explained the decision, stating, "For purposes of the airport, I've requested that they take off the mask. I didn't think it was an appropriate look for an airport."
Acting Deputy TSA Administrator Adam Stahl clarified that ICE agents would handle "non-specialized security functions," such as crowd control, allowing TSA agents to focus on aviation security. Homan added that ICE personnel would not be involved in passenger screening.
Criticism mounts over ICE deployment
Trump suggested that ICE agents could make arrests at airports, describing it as "very fertile territory," though he insisted their primary role was to assist TSA. The move has drawn sharp criticism from civil rights groups.
"They are inadequately trained, armed, and instructed to profile people based on race and accent. What could possibly go wrong? We've seen this movie before."
Derrick Johnson, NAACP President
Democrats in Congress have refused to fund DHS without reforms to ICE, citing public outrage after agents fatally shot two US citizens in Minneapolis. Republicans, meanwhile, rejected Democratic proposals to fund TSA while negotiations over ICE continue.
No end in sight as TSA agents miss second paycheck
The standoff shows little sign of resolution, with Trump instructing Republicans to oppose any deal that excludes ICE funding. TSA agents are set to miss their second paycheck on Friday, coinciding with Congress's two-week recess.
