ICE agents have been sent to major US airports as long security lines spiral out of control, with thousands of airport staff refusing to work after weeks without pay during an ongoing government shutdown.
The disruption has hit the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) hard, with more than 3,400 agents calling out in a single day. At some airports, over 40% of staff didn’t show up, leaving checkpoints overwhelmed and passengers stuck in queues for hours. In some cases, travellers have even been sleeping inside terminals to avoid missing their flights.
To ease the pressure, hundreds of ICE agents have been deployed to at least 14 airports, including in New York, Atlanta, and Houston. Their role isn’t to screen passengers but to handle crowd control and other basic duties, allowing TSA officers to focus on core security checks. Officials describe them as extra support to keep things moving.
Donald Trump said he asked ICE agents to remove their usual face coverings while working in airports, saying it wasn’t the right setting for masks. At the same time, he noted they still have the authority to make arrests, though he insisted that’s not their primary role in this situation.
Airports are now urging passengers to arrive three to four hours early as delays continue to pile up. Industry leaders have warned that the shutdown is causing serious and potentially long-term damage to operations, calling on Congress to step in and resolve the crisis.
Not everyone is comfortable with ICE’s presence. Civil rights groups have raised concerns about their role in public spaces like airports, questioning whether they are properly trained for the environment and warning about the risk of profiling.
With no clear agreement in Washington, the situation looks set to drag on. TSA workers are already missing multiple paychecks, and unless a deal is reached soon, the strain on airports—and travellers—is only expected to get worse.
