WASHINGTON — Immigration officers are being deployed to airports across the country under orders from President Donald Trump to address massive security line delays caused by a government funding standoff that has left airport screeners working without paychecks and passengers facing extensive wait times.
The president confirmed Sunday that he was moving forward with his plan to send ICE agents to assist the Transportation Security Administration starting Monday, following through on his weekend ultimatum to Democrats regarding Department of Homeland Security funding.
The partial government shutdown has left hundreds of thousands of DHS employees — including TSA agents, Secret Service personnel, and Coast Guard members — working without compensation after Congress failed to approve agency funding last month. Democratic lawmakers continue to demand significant reforms to federal immigration enforcement practices and show no indication of compromising.
Tom Homan, Trump’s White House border czar overseeing the airport initiative, has been conducting meetings with senators from both parties regarding the shutdown. While describing these discussions as “good conversations,” he acknowledged they were “not at a point yet where we’re in total agreement.”
The Senate held a rare weekend session and was expected to move forward with the confirmation of Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., as Trump’s next homeland security secretary. Mullin’s confirmation vote could occur as early as Monday evening, as he positions himself as a stabilizing force following the controversial tenure of former DHS Secretary Kristi Noem.
During Sunday television interviews, Homan explained that the specific responsibilities and deployment numbers for Customs and Immigration Enforcement officers at airports would be determined through coordination with TSA and ICE leadership “to find out where we can fit in.”
“A plan by the end of today, where we’re sending — what airports we’re starting with and where we’re sending them. … So it’s a work in progress,” Homan stated. He emphasized that the focus would be “the large airports where there’s a long wait, like three hours.”
One possibility involves having immigration officers take over exit monitoring duties currently handled by TSA personnel, allowing those agents to return to screening operations.
“ICE agents are assigned at many airports across the country already. They do a lot of investigation, criminal investigation on smuggling at airports,” Homan explained, adding that “certainly, a highly trained ICE law enforcement officer can cover an exit and makes sure people don’t go through those exits, entering the airport through the exits. And stuff like that relieves that TSA officer to go to screening and to reduce those lines.”
Homan also suggested ICE agents could handle identification verification before passengers enter screening areas.
“We’re going to be a force multiplier,” he said.
However, Homan acknowledged limitations to the assistance immigration officers could provide. “I don’t see an ICE agent looking at an X-ray machine, because we’re not trained in that,” he noted.
Trump posted on social media Monday that “ICE will be going to airports to help our wonderful TSA Agents who have stayed on the job” despite the government shutdown, while continuing his criticism of Democratic opposition.
Airport travelers experienced significant delays Sunday as the crisis continued.
At Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, security lines stretched across the entire terminal.
“Everyone just seems to be accepting it for what it is,” said 43-year-old Blake Wilbanks, who arrived 2½ hours before his Salt Lake City departure after learning about the shutdown impacts.
“Hopeful I’m gonna make it,” he commented while standing in the lengthy security queue.
Conditions appeared even more problematic at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport, where large crowds of stressed travelers crowded toward security checkpoints while TSA staff used megaphones to prevent pushing among passengers.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy highlighted the unpredictability passengers now face regarding airport wait times.
“Do I have to come an hour and a half early? Do I have to come four hours early? They don’t know until the day of or the afternoon of their flight,” Duffy explained. “So if we can alleviate that, again, the president wants to take away that leverage point for Democrats and make travel easier for the American people.”
House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York criticized the plan, stating “the last thing that the American people need are for untrained ICE agents to be deployed at airports all across the country” following concerns about immigration enforcement operations in Minnesota and other locations.
Homan appeared on CNN’s “State of the Union” and “Fox News Sunday,” while Duffy was interviewed on ABC’s “This Week” and Jeffries spoke on CNN.
