ICE officers go to TSA checkpoints at Trump's direction, while long wait
times at airports persist
[March 24, 2026]
By WYATTE GRANTHAM-PHILIPS
NEW YORK (AP) — Armed federal immigration officers in tactical gear
moved through terminals at some of the busiest U.S. airports Monday,
standing near security lines and checkpoints after President Donald
Trump ordered their deployment during a partial government shutdown that
has disrupted air travel nationwide.
The Trump administration said they would supplement Transportation
Security Administration staffing at certain airports but provided few
details about exactly what they would be doing. Still, after intensified
immigration enforcement and protests in cities across the country over
the past year, their presence has unsettled some travelers and raised
new questions.
On Monday, Associated Press journalists observed Immigration and Customs
Enforcement officers and agents patrolling terminals and lingering near
long lines of passengers at Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International,
John F. Kennedy International in New York, Newark Liberty International
in New Jersey, George Bush Intercontinental in Houston and Louis
Armstrong International outside New Orleans. A handful of other airports
— including Phoenix's Sky Harbor International — also confirmed ICE
would be on-site. Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson said his office was
monitoring the deployment of federal officers at O’Hare International.
Federal law enforcement officers are a routine presence at international
airports. Customs and Border Protection officers screen arriving
passengers, and Homeland Security Investigations agents conduct criminal
inquiries tied to cross-border activity. But immigration agents are
rarely visible at TSA checkpoints, the front line of domestic air
travel.
ICE deployments arrive amid ongoing Washington impasse
Monday’s deployments came as hundreds of thousands of Homeland Security
workers, including from the TSA, have worked without pay since Congress
failed to renew DHS funding last month.
Funding for the department lapsed Feb. 14, when Democrats refused to
fund ICE as well as Customs and Border Protection without changes to
their operations after federal officers shot and killed Alex Pretti and
Renee Good in Minneapolis. But, while routine funding used to pay TSA
agents has lapsed, ICE and other immigration enforcement personnel are
still receiving paychecks amid the shutdown — a result of Trump’s big
tax cuts bill that became law last year.
Meanwhile, the budget stalemate impacting TSA only deepened as Trump
rejected the latest offer, this one from his own Republican Party, after
a weekend of negotiations.
White House staff pitched Trump on the idea of funding DHS, except for
immigration operations that have been central to the dispute, according
to a person a familiar with the situation who spoke on the condition of
anonymity to discuss private talks. Still, Trump rejected that plan and
later escalated his demands that senators also approve the so-called
SAVE America Act, a strict proof-of-citizenship voting bill that has
essentially no chance in the Congress.
“TSA is grateful to our DHS brothers and sisters at ICE for stepping up
to support our officers, but there’s only one guaranteed way to end the
chaos at America’s airports: Democrats must come back to the table and
fully fund DHS,” TSA said in a statement posted to social media Monday.
On Monday, the White House also turned down a request from top
Democratic negotiator, Sen. Patty Murray of Washington, to meet and
continue talks, according to another person granted anonymity to discuss
the private conversations.
Democrats are continuing to demand major changes to federal immigration
operations — including policy changes that would require ICE officers to
get a warrant from a judge before forcefully entering homes, to no
longer allow officers to wear masks and to require that they provide
clear identifying information on uniforms.
Unlike many recent immigration operations in U.S. cities, where federal
agents have often worn face coverings, ICE officers at airports appeared
to be largely not masked Monday, following an earlier direction by
Trump.
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Federal immigration agents walk through Terminal 5 at John F.
Kennedy International Airport (JFK) in the Queens borough of New
York, Monday, March 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Ryan Murphy)
Fears that the deployments will heighten tension
Some fear that positioning federal immigration officers at security
checkpoints will only escalate tensions. Union leaders representing
aviation workers stressed that ICE officers don’t have the same training
and expertise as TSA workers.
Everett Kelley, national president of the American Federation of
Government Employees — which represents TSA officers — said in a
statement that his members “deserve to be paid, not replaced by
untrained, armed agents who have shown how dangerous they can be.”
Whether ICE will have a more sweeping role beyond watching long lines
and patrolling terminals has yet to be seen. On Sunday, Trump said
federal immigration officers could guard exit lanes or check passenger
IDs. The president has since suggested he could deploy the National
Guard at airports too.
ICE and TSA have been “working together so far very well,” Trump said at
Monday in Memphis. Still, he said he would “bring out the National
Guard” if more personnel is needed.
Long wait times persisted at some major hubs Monday.
Atlanta’s Hartsfield–Jackson, for example, is still urging passengers to
allow at least four hours for both domestic and international
screenings. The check-in line for departing passengers was so long
Monday that it snaked from the TSA screening area to the atrium, through
the baggage claim and out the entrance doors with people in back of the
line waiting outside. ICE officers were patrolling the terminal area,
but not seen checking IDs or otherwise interacting with passengers.
Donna Troupe, who was flying from Atlanta to Miami, said she didn’t take
issue with ICE’s presence at the airport — but also wasn’t sure how much
they were needed. “When I’ve seen them, they’ve just been standing
around talking,” she said.
Meanwhile, Daniela Dominguez, another traveler in Atlanta who was headed
to Miami, said she was concerned that for some seeing ICE would be
unnerving.
“I bet a lot of people have a lot of anxiety coming to the airport,”
Dominguez said.
In New Orleans, John Hoffman arrived to the airport five hours before
his flight to Spokane, Washington, after missing his trip the day
before. He said security lines seemed to be moving quicker Monday as
federal officers monitored lines — still, he questioned whether was
worth the travel and lodging expenses to deploy ICE officers to various
airports.
Beyond TSA operations, many travelers on the East Coast faced additional
disruptions after a Sunday night collision that killed two people and
injured dozens of others on the runway of New York’s LaGuardia Airport.
LaGuardia was temporarily shut down as air traffic was diverted.
TSA workers have been going without pay
After weeks of missed paychecks, many TSA agents have called in sick —
or even quit their jobs — as financial strains pile up. The staffing
shortages have forced some airports to close checkpoints at times, with
wait times swinging dramatically for travelers.
TSA call-out rates climbed over the weekend. Nationwide on Sunday, 11.8%
of TSA agents missed work — the highest rate of the shutdown so far —
with over 3,450 officers calling out, according to DHS. More than 400
officers have quit during the shutdown, the department said.
Some have accused the government of using TSA workers as pawns in the
ongoing budget fight. And aviation unions have raised additional safety
concerns in light of the Trump administration’s deployment of ICE
officers.
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