The Trump administration is taking a dramatic step to deal with worsening airport security lines across the United States: deploying Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents to airports. First stop: Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.
No, this isn’t a joke.
ICE Agents Will Be Deployed To U.S. Airports Today As TSA Crisis Deepens
Starting today, ICE agents are expected to begin deploying to U.S. airports to assist the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), which has been stretched thin during the ongoing Department of Homeland Security funding lapse. The first round of ICE agents will report to Atlanta (ATL).
Yesterday, White House border advisor Tom Homan confirmed the plan, calling it a work in progress but making clear the rollout is imminent:
“We will be at airports tomorrow helping TSA move those lines along.”
President Donald Trump has also publicly backed the move, saying ICE agents will go to airports to support TSA officers who have continued working without pay during the shutdown.
The Radical Left Democrats have hurt so many people with their vicious and uncaring ways. What they have done to the Department of Homeland Security, our fantastic TSA Officers, and, most importantly, the great people of our Country, is an absolute disgrace. If the Democrats do not allow for Just and Proper Security at our Airports, and elsewhere throughout our Country, ICE will do the job far better than ever done before! The Fascist Democrats will never protect America, but the Republicans will. Just like the Radical Left allowed millions of Criminals to pour into our Country through their ridiculous and dangerous Open Border Policy, the Republicans closed it all down, and we now have the Strongest Border in American History. Likewise, I look forward to moving ICE in on Monday, and have already told them to, “GET READY.” NO MORE WAITING, NO MORE GAMES! President DONALD J. TRUMP
This comes as airport conditions continue to deteriorate, with long security lines, high absenteeism among TSA officers, and mounting frustration among travelers.
What Will ICE Actually Do?
Despite the headline-grabbing nature of the announcement, ICE agents are not expected to replace TSA screeners or operate X-ray machines.
Homan acknowledged as much:
“I don’t see an ICE agent looking at an X-ray machine, because they are not trained in that.”
Instead, ICE agents will likely be used in support roles, such as managing exit lanes or handling non-screening duties, in order to free up trained TSA officers for core security functions. It isn’t clear if they will be the ones checking IDs…
Strong Pushback From Lawmakers And Unions
The reaction has been swift and sharply divided.
Critics argue that deploying ICE agents to airports, even in a limited capacity, raises serious concerns about training, mission creep, and optics (whether or not they wear masks…).
The American Federation of Government Employees, which represents TSA workers, warned that ICE agents are not trained for aviation security and could pose risks rather than solutions.
“ICE agents are not trained or certified in aviation security. TSA officers spend months learning to detect explosives, weapons, and threats specifically designed to evade detection at checkpoints — skills that require specialized instruction, hands-on practice, and ongoing recertification. You cannot improvise that. Putting untrained personnel at security checkpoints does not fill a gap. It creates one.”
Lawmakers have also weighed in.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer warned that placing ICE agents in airports could “make the chaos worse,” while other Democrats have questioned whether this is an appropriate use of federal law enforcement.
Even some Republicans have expressed unease about the optics of immigration enforcement personnel appearing in airport security environments.
A Short-Term Fix…Or Something More?
For now, the administration is framing this as a temporary response to a staffing crisis.
And to be fair, there is a real crisis.
TSA officers have been working without pay for weeks, call-out rates have surged, and hundreds have quit since the shutdown began.
Something has to give. But this isn’t the solution…and hopefully not a preview of a more permanent blending of roles between immigration enforcement and airport security. Of course there’s historical precedent for a personal police force who did the bidding of the leader. They wore brown shirts…
CONCLUSION
ICE agents are expected to begin appearing at U.S. airports today, starting with Atlanta, but what they will actually do remains unclear.
They will not replace TSA screeners, and they will not be running security checkpoints. But their presence reflects just how strained the current system has become…and I just don’t see this ending well.
Airport security in the United States is entering uncharted territory.
The POTUS could have sent in the National Guard, which would have been far less controversial. Even better? Congress should pass a clean funding bill for the TSA then continue to bicker over ICE funding without holding workers hostage.
image: DHS
Ok, I admit it, Im tired of all this winning
Are we great again yet?
Everything Trump touches breaks. People can have different politics but a criminal and incompetent fool who usually acts as a 5 yr old by calling people names, refusing to compromise, refuses to admit mistakes, etc. is someone who should not be President and in his case should be locked up.
Gas prices, utilities, no allies willing to help since he refuses to help them, he and the US is getting what they deserve, a much lowering standard of living with declining medical care and access, inflation on necessary items (utilities, insurance, etc.), etc.
The future and present is not good.
224 days until the midterms. Let’s vote.
Or as author and former Republican strategist wrote, “everything Trump touches dies”. It’s a great book.
thank you for your more nuanced position on the topic which is being well-covered.
It is very possible that deploying ICE to airports COULD BE the biggest image rehabilitation/PR job in history.
ICE’s reputation was badly damaged over the past year esp. because of what happened in Minnesota but most people are being impacted far more by what is going on at airports in a situation that could go from bad to worse since Congress is supposed to be on vacation for a couple weeks.
It would be negligent to not come up with some plan B given the funding impasse and the soaring TSA checkpoint delays.
Other branches of the government including ICE are funded.
Other government employees can be trained to do core security functions.
And let’s also not pretend that TSA has ever been liked since they were created post 9/11. This just might be an opportunity to move everything except ICE out of DHS and then shutter the entire department, putting ICE and CBP someplace where funding will be assured. And it isn’t even clear that we need much out of ICE as long as borders remain secure and local governments cooperate w/ federal immigration efforts – which Minneapolis is now doing.
People want solutions to problems. Congress has failed to do it. ICE and other federal employees that are funded could step in until a real solution is found.
Local airport screening could return to private companies with much greater involvement from the feds in setting standards and ensuring uniform, up-to-date screening processes.
I am sure some people will take this very message to be political but I want to see aviation work and what happens right now on many levels does not.
Trump, who does not believe the rules apply to him or administration, should simply use ICE money to fund the TSA instead…just pay them and see if Congress has the balls to fight for the power of the purse.
you know, Matthew,
it is just not political to me.
You do realize that it is Congress that has to come up w/ a bill and then send it to the President?
I am not excusing the President’s party or the opposition, minority party but it is mind-numbing for people including you to be incapable of coming to the conclusion that a solution needs to be found and any and all suggestions need to be seriously considered.
For one, cancel all Congressional benefits including vacation until it is fixed.
and if ANY government employee can be pressed into service to fix this nightmare, then do it.
and then ensure that essential workers’ paychecks cannot be held hostage to a miserably failed political system, regardless of which party is to blame.
Having worked on the Hill and in the White House, indeed, I’m quite aware of how the process works. My point above was that DJT trumps so many rules, it’s too bad he doesn’t find a way to just pay these people, as he finds ways around respecting other rules and norms.
In any case, I realize GOP won’t pass any clean funding bills for TSA or Coast Guard because it removes all leverage for funding ICE, but something has to give here and it’s ridiculous the two sides cannot work out a deal.
I know your experience.
I just am beyond politics at my age.
I don’t expect any earthly government to work and I also know that no one of any stripe is going to get it right.
It is an embarassment where we are with repeated government shutdowns and hard-working people’s lives being put at stake.
I want the best we can have this side of eternity. and I don’t care if ICE or anyone else solves this problem.
and then we have to ask the question if ICE and TSA and the Coast Guard should be in the same department and honestly if we need ICE as it exists now given that the borders are more controlled than they have been in decades.
that is all, Matthew.
Let’s wait and see how things develop.
So now POTUS wishes not to continue funding negotiations unless he gets the SAVE ACT approved. Making voting difficult for the elderly, students and married women. I suspect this is the ground work for his next denial of fair loss ahead. He can’t handle the truth.
Considering ICE hasn’t been able to put up the numbers of actual arrests and deportations he promised, at least they are acquiring new training. It’s all ridiculous.
The corruption of the Criminal Trump junta is once again laid bare for all the world to see. Yes, USA, we’re all laughing at you. Get Criminal Trump and his junta behind bars where they belong and for the rest of their lives.
It has been well documented that many of the new ICE agents have criminal backgrounds, and it seems that many of them weren’t even really properly trained to do that job after being hired. It’s astounding that we would seriously trust them to take over any part of aviation security. This is basically DHS admitting that TSA truly is security theatre. A real shame too because over the past few years, I’ve really grown to respect the TSA as an agency. With precheck or touchless ID, clearing security in the US is really as efficient and quick as anywhere else on earth.
@Jerry, 100% agree with you.
Matthew,
You do know ICE is already funded?
No reason at all for the Dems to make demands as ICE will still have their money at the end of it
Does anyone actually know what the ICE agents will be doing if not TSA work? I see TSA “guarding” the checkpoints to keep people from going around and in the exit. Is that it? I mean, even the crew pass check area takes TSA training. How much will this help, or is this just more government kabuki?