ICE Officers Deployed to TSA Checkpoints Following Trump Directive During Partial Government Shutdown

ATLANTA – Amidst the ongoing government shutdown, President Donald Trump has taken steps to alleviate the mounting pressure at U.S. airports. As part of his plan, additional federal immigration officers are being dispatched to assist the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) in handling the long lines that have become a common sight at security checkpoints nationwide.

On Monday morning, a notable presence of federal officers was observed by the Associated Press at Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport, where they were stationed near the bustling security lines. This is not an isolated measure; other major airports like Louis Armstrong International in New Orleans and Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental and William P. Hobby airports have also announced the arrival of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers to bolster TSA efforts.

While federal officers are typically found at international airports—where Customs and Border Protection officers manage incoming travelers and Homeland Security Investigations agents tackle cases of smuggling, trafficking, and fraud—their new role at TSA checkpoints marks a significant shift in their visibility and function.

The deployment of federal officers comes at a crucial time. Hundreds of thousands of Homeland Security employees, including those from the TSA, U.S. Secret Service, and Coast Guard, have been working without pay since Congress did not renew funding for the Department of Homeland Security last month. This financial strain has led to an increase in TSA agents calling in sick or resigning, resulting in staffing shortages that have occasionally forced airport checkpoints to close and caused erratic wait times for travelers.

In response to these challenges, the Trump administration announced on Sunday its intention to dispatch federal immigration officers to the airports experiencing the longest delays. Lauren Bis, a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security, noted that “hundreds” of ICE officers would be involved in this initiative. However, she withheld details on the specific airports they would be deployed to, citing security concerns.

Some fear the move to deploy federal immigration agents will only escalate tensions.

“This latest threat of ICE invasion at the airports is another distraction from solutions that protect Americans,” a coalition of unions representing flight attendants and other workers — including the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA and International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers — said in a Sunday statement. Transportation security officers “can’t simply be replaced” by federal immigration officers, they noted, adding that ICE’s presence and potential attempts to question passengers about immigration status may also “distract them from ensuring airport security.”

The unions called for TSA workers to be paid immediately.

Trump said on Sunday that he would order federal immigration agents to airports to assist TSA by guarding exit lanes or checking passenger IDs unless Democrats agreed to fund the DHS. Funding for the department lapsed Feb. 14, as Democrats refused to fund ICE as well as Customs and Border Protection without changes to their operations in the wake of the deaths of Alex Pretti and Renee Good in Minneapolis.

Democrats are continuing to demand major changes to federal immigration operations — including policy changes that would require ICE officers to get a warrant from a judge before forcefully entering homes, the removal of masks and clear identifying information on uniforms.

Trump on Monday directed ICE officers not to wear face coverings in their work at airports. In a social media posted, Trump said he supports ICE officers wearing masks when dealing with “hardened criminals” but suggested it isn’t necessary “when helping our Country out of the Democrat caused MESS at the airports.”

Beyond TSA operations, New York’s LaGuardia Airport shut down following a deadly collision on the runway late Sunday. An Air Canada regional jet struck a fire truck while landing, officials said — killing the pilot and copilot while around 40 passengers and crew members were taken to area hospitals, some with serious injuries.

According to the FAA, LaGuardia is expected to remain closed until at least 2 p.m. ET on Monday. Air traffic has been diverted, and Monday morning operations also were halted at Newark Liberty International Airport in neighboring New Jersey.

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Grantham-Philips reported from New York. Associated Press writer Collin Binkley in Washington contributed to this report.