Photos show ICE agents at US airports as TSA staffing shortages disrupt air travel
Megan Varner/Getty Images
- TSA employees have been quitting or calling out sick amid the partial government shutdown.
- On Monday, the first ICE agents were deployed to help at airports across the US.
- ICE agents have been spotted at New York City's JFK and Hartsfield-Jackson in Atlanta.
After announcing his intentions to send US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to airports to help alleviate long wait times and travel chaos, President Donald Trump's plan went into effect on Monday.
ICE agents were spotted at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey, and George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston on Monday.
They were deployed to airports to support Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers who have been working without pay since mid-February due to a partial government shutdown.
After some creative suggestions to help out travelers and workers — including an offer from Elon Musk to personally pay TSA salaries and donations of food and basic necessities from casinos in Las Vegas — the latest idea came from President Trump, who announced intentions to send ICE agents to airports on Sunday.
"There are roles we can play to release TSA officers from the non-significant roles," said White House border czar Tom Homan. "We're just simply helping our fellow officers at TSA."
Everett Kelley, president of the American Federation of Government Employees, the largest federal government workers union, released a statement condemning the move.
"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," he said.
Nevertheless, ICE agents have been deployed to at least four airports, and are expected at nine more across the country, per CNN.
ICE did not immediately respond to Business Insider's request for comment.
Here's what it looks like to have ICE at the airport.