Enhanced role for immigration officers at US airports
AP News • • nation
Key Points:
- President Trump ordered federal immigration agents from ICE to assist TSA at U.S. airports amid a Department of Homeland Security funding impasse, aiming to ease long security wait times during the partial government shutdown.
- The deployment, led by White House border czar Tom Homan, involves ICE officers performing tasks like guarding exit lanes and checking passenger IDs, but excludes direct screening duties for which they are untrained.
- The plan has drawn criticism from TSA unions and some lawmakers who warn it could increase tensions at airports and undermine security, especially as TSA agents continue working without pay.
- Democrats remain firm in their demands for changes to immigration enforcement and have only agreed to fund most DHS operations excluding immigration agencies, prolonging the budget stalemate.
- Major airports such as Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson and New York’s JFK are experiencing significant traveler delays and overcrowding, highlighting the urgent need to resolve staffing and funding issues.
