President Donald Trump has deployed Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents to more than a dozen major U.S. airports to assist with security screening amid significant staffing shortages caused by the ongoing partial government shutdown. The deployment began on January 28th at airports including John F. Kennedy International in New York, Newark Liberty International in New Jersey, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International, and others.
Key Takeaways
President Trump has deployed ICE agents to over a dozen major U.S. airports to assist with security amid significant staffing shortages caused by the ongoing partial government shutdown. Nearly 12% of TSA officers did not show up for work on Sunday, leading to long wait times and increased absences.
- President Trump directed ICE agents to assist with airport security
- Nearly 12% of TSA officers were absent on Sunday due to the shutdown
- The deployment has sparked controversy from Democrats and some Republicans
- TSA officers have gone without pay for over a month, leading to resignations
According to multiple reports, nearly 12% of TSA officers did not show up for work on Sunday, the highest absenteeism rate since the partial government shutdown began over five weeks ago. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) confirmed that hundreds of ICE agents were deployed to assist with security at airports facing substantial staffing issues.
The deployment has sparked controversy and criticism from Democrats and some Republicans. New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy stated that Trump is creating 'chaos' for Americans by stationing agents at airports. House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries told CNN, 'The last thing that the American people need are for untrained ICE agents to be deployed at airports all across the country.' Even some members of President Trump's own Republican Party have expressed opposition to the new airport security plan with Senator Lisa Murkowski calling it a “bad idea”.
ICE agents were seen patrolling terminals and standing watch beside long lines of passengers. Some ICE officers were reported to be wearing tactical vests and carrying handguns, with at least one having what appeared to be a short-barreled, assault-style rifle slung across his chest. The deployment comes as TSA officers work without pay, leading to increased absences and resignations. More than 400 TSA agents have resigned since the start of the shutdown on February 14.
The partial government shutdown has led to the longest TSA wait times in history, with waits of more than four hours in some cases. Some airlines have rolled out more lenient rebooking policies in recent days due to long TSA lines and airport delays. The U.S. Homeland Security Department announced on Friday it was taking emergency action to pay 50,000 airport security officers who have gone unpaid since mid-February.
President Trump directed ICE officers not to wear face coverings while working at airports, suggesting masks weren't necessary 'when helping our Country out of the Democrat caused MESS at the airports.' According to CBS News, ICE agents are currently stationed in 14 U.S. airports, and Border Czar Tom Homan told CNN that agents will work on crowd control and be stationed at entrances and exits to provide security so TSA agents can focus on getting passengers screened and on their flights.
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