Federal Shutdown Prompts ICE Support at Airports Nationwide
By: Lucas Burton
Amid a partial government shutdown that has left more than 480 Transportation Security Administration employees off the job and thousands more working without pay, ICE agents have been deployed to airports nationwide by the federal government to help maintain security and keep operations running.
The Department of Homeland Security’s funding lapsed in mid-February, and the resulting staffing shortages have led to longer lines and operational strain at airports across the country.
ICE agents have not been affected by the government shutdown, so they have been deployed to airports across the country to help run the airports while TSA employees have stopped working. While some critics have expressed concern that ICE’s primary mission is not airport security, others argue the move ensures that essential travel operations remain functional during a funding lapse.
NPR asked the acting assistant secretary of DHS, Lauren Bis, about the role ICE agents play in assisting airport operations. She said they are now responsible for “guarding entrances and exits, assisting with logistics, doing crowd control, and verifying identification using TSA equipment and standard operating procedures.”
The one who oversees this operation is White House border czar Tom Homan. He appeared on Hannity and explained ICE’s role at the airport. “We’re doing a security function at the airport. We’re going to arrest criminals going through the airport.” He added, “We’re going to look for human trafficking, sex trafficking, money smuggling.”
When ICE was originally created in 2003 as a part of DHS, its primary role was to “question, search, and arrest undocumented immigrants without a warrant.” That background has fueled some of the debate surrounding its expanded presence in airports during the shutdown.
The use of ICE agents to support TSA operations highlights how federal agencies can adapt during disruptions to maintain public safety and continuity. While debate continues over the scope of ICE’s role, supporters argue that leveraging available personnel helps prevent larger security gaps and keeps airports running during a challenging period.
