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ATLANTA (AP) — In response to President Donald Trump’s directive, an increased number of federal immigration officers are being dispatched to U.S. airports. Their presence aims to bolster the Transportation Security Administration amid the ongoing government shutdown, which has resulted in extended wait times at security checkpoints nationwide.
Under normal circumstances, federal officers, including those from Customs and Border Protection, are stationed at international airports to manage incoming travelers, while Homeland Security Investigations agents address criminal activities related to smuggling, trafficking, and fraud. However, what sets the current situation apart is their noticeable role at TSA security checkpoints.
This deployment on Monday follows a period where hundreds of thousands of Homeland Security employees, encompassing TSA agents, the U.S. Secret Service, and the Coast Guard, have been operating without pay. The lapse in Congressional approval for DHS funding last month has led many TSA workers to call in sick or resign due to financial burdens. Consequently, some airports have intermittently shut down checkpoints, causing significant fluctuations in wait times for passengers.
The Trump administration announced on Sunday its intention to send federal immigration officers to major airports experiencing the most severe delays. Lauren Bis, a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security, mentioned this would involve “hundreds” of ICE officers, though she refrained from specifying all airport locations for security reasons.
There are concerns that deploying federal immigration agents could heighten existing 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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