A CNN reporter was left astonished Tuesday after wait times at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport dropped from hours to mere minutes—just one day after President Trump dispatched Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to assist unpaid TSA staffers amid the ongoing partial government shutdown, the New York Post reports.
Senior National Correspondent Ryan Young reported live in disbelief as routine bottlenecks vanished overnight. “Wolf, I almost can’t believe I’m able to say this, the times have dropped off tremendously this morning,” Young told anchor Wolf Blitzer. “People were waiting an hour in line, now that is not the case. If you look at the main checkpoint here, it seems like there’s less than a dozen people. I don’t think people thought they were going to see the numbers where they are right now.” Cameras captured a near-empty screening area, a stunning reversal after weeks of grueling delays that had stranded thousands of travelers.
While acknowledging that Tuesdays generally see lighter traffic, Young credited the visible presence of newly deployed ICE agents for helping restore order at one of America’s busiest airports. “They are patrolling the outside areas of the airport, keeping people safe, interacting with some of the people as they walk by but for the most part they have this defensive posture where they’re sort of just walking around and making the parameter is safe,” the reporter said.
According to The Post, “when asked by Blitzer if ICE agents are conducting immigration sweeps at the airport, Young said he hasn’t seen a single officer ask for an ID or stop anyone. Instead, he said, some agents are posted at TSA checkpoints, standing guard as passengers breeze through.”
ICE agents were dispatched Monday to roughly 14 major airports nationwide as TSA absences surged to their highest level since the shutdown began five weeks ago, according to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The move aimed to stabilize overwhelmed checkpoints and ease passenger frustration after DHS funding lapsed in February.
At Atlanta’s airport, the measure appears to have delivered immediate relief. However, footage from other airports showed a mixed response—some confrontations, with travelers angrily confronting officers or filming them up close, and others offering gratitude, handshakes, and thanks.
For now, the dramatic turnaround in Atlanta stands out as one of the few bright spots of an otherwise turbulent travel season, with even skeptical reporters acknowledging the efficiency ICE’s presence has brought to airport security lines.