Overview
- ICE personnel began reporting to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta before dawn Monday to help manage lines under TSA direction, with roughly 14 airports expected to receive support according to multiple reports.
- White House border czar Tom Homan said agents will handle entrances, exits and crowd control rather than specialized screening to free TSA officers for checkpoint duties.
- TSA staffing shortfalls have intensified after weeks without pay, with weekend callouts near 11% and DHS saying more than 400 officers have resigned.
- Travelers faced multi-hour waits at major hubs including Atlanta, Houston and New York, while airports such as LAX and Manchester-Boston reported normal operations and no planned ICE deployment.
- The move follows the Senate’s failure to advance DHS funding and has drawn criticism from Democrats and civil-liberties advocates who press for restoring pay and caution against blurring immigration enforcement with airport security.