Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents were deployed at US airports to assist the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) amid the ongoing partial government shutdown.
Officials told CNN that ICE officers would help with administrative and support tasks, such as managing queues and assisting airport operations but that they would not carry out security screenings.
According to The Associated Press, ICE agents have been deployed at airports including, Newark Liberty International and John F Kennedy International in New York and Hartfield-Jackson Atlanta International in Atlanta.
Limited staff lengthen queues
On February 14, the US entered a partial shutdown due to a dispute about the funding of the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and its agencies, including the TSA and Customs and Border Protection.
On Sunday (March 22), the DHS said that nearly 12% of TSA officers, over 3 450 workers, did not report for duty, marking the highest absence rate since the shutdown began. The Department recently reported that, as a result, there were three-hour-long queues at airports in Houston, Atlanta and New Orleans.
The US Travel Association, on behalf of airlines, international hotel brands and domestic travel associations, urged Congress to end the shutdown to minimise the impact on TSA workers and on the travel industry.
“As shutdowns drag on, the consequences become increasingly visible to the travelling public. Workforce strain and declining morale contribute to staffing shortages that lead to longer security lines, increased wait times and mounting stress on a system that must operate seamlessly to ensure the safety of the travelling public.”
Acting Deputy TSA Administrator, Adam Stahl, said they might be forced to shut down airports, particularly smaller ones, if TSA agents continued to work without pay and call-out rates continued to increase.
