Unmasked ICE agents were deployed to major airports nationwide on Monday, where they quickly drew harassing attention from travelers and photographers. At JFK Airport, some officers were caught on video running as photographers followed them.
President Trump announced Sunday that ICE personnel would be sent to assist TSA agents, many of whom have gone unpaid since February. Airports receiving ICE deployments Monday include Atlanta, Chicago O’Hare, Cleveland, Houston Hobby, Fort Myers, New Orleans, New York’s JFK and LaGuardia, Newark Liberty, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Pittsburgh, and San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Footage showed immigration enforcement agents patrolling New York’s JFK International Airport Monday morning, as long lines formed due to disruptions linked to the partial TSA shutdown.
ICE agents were also seen providing security support at Atlanta’s airport, working alongside TSA staff who continue reporting for duty without pay.
Over the weekend, TSA absences climbed to their highest levels since the shutdown began five weeks ago, according to the DHS. The agency said more than one-third of TSA workers in New York City, Houston, and Atlanta either called out sick or did not report for duty, reported The New York Post.
The partial shutdown has left tens of thousands of employees without pay since DHS funding expired on Feb. 13. Democrats, along with some Republicans, have declined to approve funding for the department’s annual budget amid disagreements over President Trump’s immigration enforcement policies.