Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents began reporting Monday to about 14 U.S. airports to support security operations as Transportation Security Administration staffing shortages continued during the ongoing partial Department of Homeland Security shutdown. DHS said nearly 12% of TSA officers, or more than 3,450 employees, were absent Sunday. The deployment also includes Homeland Security Investigations personnel and is intended to place agents in roles that allow TSA officers to remain focused on screening travelers.
According to reporting from The New York Times, officials were still working through operational details as the deployment got underway.
“It’s a work in progress, but we will be at airports tomorrow, helping TSA move those lines along,” White House border czar Tom Homan said.
Homan also said ICE personnel could be used for site security, entry and exit points and ID checks rather than passenger or baggage screening, with the goal of shifting more TSA officers back into checkpoint operations.
President Donald Trump said Monday that he wanted ICE officers assigned to airports to work without masks and said additional assistance could be considered if airport disruptions continue.
“I would greatly appreciate, however, NO MASKS, when helping our Country out of the Democrat caused MESS at the airports, etc. Thank you!” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
Fox News also reported that Trump floated bringing in National Guard personnell, should additional resources be required.
Reuters reported Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens said federal officials told him the deployment there was meant to assist with crowd control and line management in domestic terminals and was “not intended to conduct immigration enforcement activities.”