Overview
- Federal officials sent ICE personnel to about 14 large airports to cover support roles as TSA officers work without pay during a DHS funding lapse, saying agents are not there to conduct immigration enforcement.
- At JFK, a reporter saw a TSA officer training two ICE agents at the ID podium, and one traveler described being asked for a second photo ID while nearby passengers were not.
- Immigration advocates say calls for help have surged and urge people at higher risk of detention, including those without permanent status or with prior convictions or removal orders, to reconsider flying.
- Lawyers advise travelers to carry physical proof of status, know their right to refuse questioning or searches, and secure phones by turning off Face ID or fingerprints as device searches remain a legal gray area.
- Gothamist found the added agents have not meaningfully shortened security lines at New York–area airports, and attorneys note ICE airport arrests had already been rising under President Trump before this deployment.