ICE Agents Deployed to US Airports Amid Security Delays

Mon Mar 23 2026 23:55:01 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

In the wake of a partial government shutdown, ICE agents are stepping in at major US airports to alleviate growing security concerns as TSA staff shortages lead to lengthy wait times.

As TSA shortages escalate due to a government shutdown, ICE agents have been dispatched to key airports across the US to assist with security operations. This move comes as thousands of TSA employees, having gone weeks without pay, are increasingly absent from duty. Major airports including New York and Atlanta are experiencing severe delays, prompting officials to urge passengers to arrive hours prior to their flights. Concerns regarding the deployment of ICE, particularly for crowd control and potential immigration enforcement, have sparked public debate.

US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents have deployed to major airports across the country, helping to fill the void as thousands of security staff who are going without pay refuse to work.

Transportation Security Administration (TSA) employees are increasingly absent, having not received pay in weeks due to a partial government shutdown that began on 14 February.

Their absence has created huge queues and hours-long wait times at airport security checkpoints. More than 3,400 TSA agents called out of work on Sunday.

On Monday, White House border tsar Tom Homan said hundreds of ICE agents had been deployed to 14 airports in cities including New York, Atlanta, and Houston.

Photos of the agents showed them at New York's John F Kennedy airport and Hartsfield-Jackson airport in Atlanta, Georgia, among others.

But they were not wearing masks or face coverings as they have done elsewhere, prompting President Trump to comment that he did not find the look appropriate for an airport.

At Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport, 42.3% of TSA staff called to say they would be absent on Sunday; at Hartsfield-Jackson, 41.5% were absent, raising concerns among travelers.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) stated that wait times have become so lengthy that travelers are sleeping in the airport to avoid missing flights, with some airports advising passengers to arrive at least three to four hours early.

More than a third of TSA employees reported being absent from work at several airports, leading to operational disruptions that airport leaders have called deeply concerning.

The deployment of ICE agents aims to assist TSA in non-specialized security functions while relieving them to focus on aviation security. However, there are fears regarding ICE's involvement in potential immigration enforcement at airports, especially in light of the agency's controversial past.

Trump has claimed that ICE agents could make arrests but insisted their role is primarily to help. Critics, such as civil rights organizations, express concerns about the adequacy of ICE training and potential racial profiling.

The ongoing government shutdown continues to create financial strains for TSA and DHS employees, with many missing paychecks as the impasse in Congress persists.