Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents have been deployed to at least 13 U.S. airports starting Monday, as the partial government shutdown continues to strain the nation’s aviation security system. The deployment comes after President Trump threatened to move ICE agents to airports if Democrats did not immediately agree to fund the Department of Homeland Security.
The agents arrived at major hubs, including Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, and all three New York City-area airports. White House border czar Tom Homan confirmed Sunday that ICE agents would assist security officials with crowd control, security duties, and ID checks, though they will not operate X-ray machines. “How much of a plan does it mean to guard an exit to make sure no one comes through that exit?” Homan told CNN.
President Trump made the deployment official in a series of Truth Social posts, directing ICE agents to “do Security as no one has ever seen before” and arrest all illegal immigrants entering the country, with “heavy emphasis on those from Somalia”. He also made an unusual request: that agents not wear masks while on duty.
“I would greatly appreciate, however, no masks, when helping our Country out of the Democrat caused MESS at the airports,” Trump wrote. The mask directive had been a sticking point in negotiations with Democrats.
The deployment comes as Transportation Security Administration officers face their second missed paycheck amid the ongoing partial government shutdown. The shutdown has specifically affected the Department of Homeland Security, with funding for its various agencies caught in a political stalemate.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune reportedly approached Trump with a plan to fund all DHS agencies except ICE, which would be handled through reconciliation instead . But Trump rejected the deal, insisting Republicans continue fighting for the SAVE America Act.
Critics have raised serious concerns about ICE agents performing airport security functions. ICE have not received airport security training, which typically requires months of preparation for TSA officers.
“It’s not ICE’s mission to be there,” Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski told reporters, warning the agency’s presence could bring “additional tension” to an already strained environment. Former TSA administrator John Pistole told Axios: “If I’m getting on a flight tomorrow, I want to know that the people doing the screening are qualified, that it’s not their first day on the job”.
The deployment has drawn condemnation from both sides of the aisle. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer called it “really disturbing,” saying ICE agents “who are untrained and have caused problems everywhere they’ve gone, lurking at our airports” are “asking for trouble”.
Connecticut Senator Richard Blumenthal labeled the decision “one of the biggest potential self-inflicted wounds for this administration”. Even some Republicans expressed concern, with one anonymous senator telling Punchbowl News: “It’s a mess. No one is quite sure what’s going on”.
Homan told CNN he would not rule out ICE agents making arrests while on duty at airports, noting that immigration enforcement happens at airports regularly . For now, travelers can expect to see immigration agents in uniform at security checkpoints and boarding areas at 13 major airports across the country.
The partial government shutdown, now entering its sixth week, shows no signs of resolution.
