Overview
- ICE personnel were observed Monday at Atlanta, New York JFK and Chicago O'Hare, with deployments reported to roughly 13–14 large hubs, though DHS has not released a full list.
- DHS said the effort involves hundreds of officers prioritized for airports facing the longest lines as TSA absenteeism surged during the partial shutdown.
- Officials described non‑specialized duties such as exit‑lane guarding and line management to allow TSA to focus on screening, and agents without SIDA credentials may be restricted from secure areas.
- TSA callouts reached 11.5% nationwide on Saturday, with some airports seeing 30–40% of staff absent and waits stretching for hours during peak spring travel.
- Labor leaders and Democrats argue ICE lacks aviation‑security training and warn against blending immigration enforcement with checkpoint operations, as Trump publicly urged agents not to wear masks at airports.