Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents will remain stationed at major U.S. airports until Transportation Security Administration (TSA) operations return to full capacity, according to Border Czar Tom Homan. The decision follows President Donald Trump's executive order to pay TSA agents, amid widespread disruptions caused by the partial government shutdown.
Continued Airport Presence
Homan stated that ICE agents will stay 'until the airports feel like they're 100%', emphasizing their role in ensuring airport security during the TSA's staffing crisis. Since mid-February, over 500 TSA agents have left their jobs, leading to hours-long wait times at security checkpoints across the country.
'We'll be there as long as they need us until they get back to normal operations and feel like those airports are secure,' Homan told CBS News.
Controversy and Criticism
The deployment of ICE agents to 14 major airports has drawn criticism from flight attendants' unions, who argue that the agents' presence creates a conflict of missions. The Association of Flight Attendants expressed concerns that immigration checks could distract from airport security, noting instances where ICE agents were allegedly performing tasks outside their training, such as screening passengers and baggage.
While wait times have improved since the executive order, some airports like Houston's George Bush Intercontinental and New York's JFK still report waits exceeding 30 minutes. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has assured that TSA agents will receive payment as early as Monday, but full operational recovery remains uncertain.
The Senate's recent funding deal for DHS was rejected by House Republicans, who seek increased funding for ICE. Democrats, meanwhile, continue to push for agency reforms following January's violence in Minnesota.