Around the country from mid-February through March airports were experiencing severe delays due to long wait times at security lines. These wait times are a result of the government shutdown, leaving TSA agents to work without pay for 44 days. Due to this sudden change, President Donald Trump has decided to send ICE agents to major airports to assist travelers.
Despite the extra manpower being sent, some TSA lines still flow at the same speed as before. This is happening because ICE agents are not trained to perform security screenings. For example, some agents deployed to Atlanta airport and Houston George Bush International have been seen wandering and talking amongst each other. While some agents were observed handing out water bottles and assisting passengers with carrying bags.
Due to the partial government shutdown, funding for the Department of Homeland Security had temporarily halted. This led to many workers calling out and quitting to find other suitable jobs to help pay their bills. These changes have caused many travelers to experience longer queue times than they would normally.
It isn’t an unusual case for ICE agents to be spotted at airports. Before Trump sent ICE to assist TSA agents, ICE had a small presence at airports all around the country. Instead of being tasked to help travelers get through security smoothly, “they perform criminal investigations and immigration enforcement,” said White House border czar Tom Homan. From January 2025 to February 2026 TSA provided ICE with 31,000 travelers for potential immigration enforcement with 800 being confirmed arrested.
