ICE agents step in to rein in airport chaos as TSA workers call in sick during shutdown

Airport operations across the United States are under strain as a growing number of security staff stay away from work during the ongoing government shutdown, prompting authorities to bring in immigration agents to manage the rush at key terminals.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said absenteeism among Transportation Security Administration (TSA) personnel has climbed to its highest point since the shutdown began five weeks ago. At major hubs including Houston, New York and Atlanta, more than one-third of security staff were not on duty over the weekend. Across the country, over 9% of the workforce was absent in the past week, slowing passenger movement and increasing wait times.

With thousands of TSA employees continuing without pay due to the budget impasse between Democrats and Republicans, officials have decided to deploy Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents at some of the busiest airports from Monday. The agents are expected to assist in handling crowds and guiding passengers through security lines. They will not be stationed beyond checkpoints, as they do not hold the required clearance.


In Atlanta, Mayor Andre Dickens said ICE personnel will support operations at Hartsfield-Jackson airport. He clarified that their role is "not intended to conduct immigration enforcement activities." His statement stands in contrast to a message posted by President Donald Trump, who said ICE agents would carry out "the immediate arrest of all Illegal Immigrants who have come into our Country."

Officials linked the spike in absences to financial hardship faced by TSA workers. A DHS spokesperson said, "Many TSA officers cannot pay their rent, buy food, or afford to put gas in their cars — forcing them to call out sick from work." The agency and union sources also indicated that some employees have resigned during this period.

Border czar Tom Homan said the additional personnel would help ease congestion. "When we deploy tomorrow, we'll have a well thought-out plan to execute," he said, adding that authorities are working on measures "to move those lines along." Trump also wrote, "ICE will do the job far better than ever done before!"

There is no uniform view within the administration on how ICE agents will be used. Homan said they are unlikely to handle screening equipment due to limited experience, while Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said ICE agents "know how to pat people down, they know how to run the X-ray machines."

The plan has faced opposition from the TSA workers’ union. Everett Kelley, head of the American Federation of Government Employees, said, "Our members at TSA have been showing up every day, without a paycheck, because they believe in the mission of keeping the flying public safe. They deserve to be paid, not replaced by untrained, armed agents who have shown how dangerous they can be."

While TSA workers remain unpaid, ICE personnel continue to receive salaries through a separate funding route. Meanwhile, Democrats have held back DHS funding as they push for changes to immigration practices following controversial incidents earlier this year. Hakeem Jeffries said discussions are open for a separate funding measure for TSA staff, but no agreement has been reached so far.

with iputs from reuters