President Trump has announced that ICE agents will be sent to airports to assist TSA officers amid the government shutdown affecting DHS. During CNN’s State of the Union address, Border Czar Tom Homan stated that:
We will make a plan today and implement it tomorrow
previously, The Trump administration ended TSA’s global check-in and pre-screening before they reopened it after it became clear they were to blame for the shutdown and it didn’t make sense in the first place since those programs lower the required staffing level.
Homan stated that ICE agents will be used for logistical roles and that airports with the longest lines will be given priority. He also mentioned the officers manning the exits on the secured side. AFGE (the union representing TSA officers) President Everett Kelley “lashed out” at the decision stating (our emphasis):
ICE agents are not trained or certified in aviation security. TSA officers spend months learning to detect explosives, weapons, and threats designed specifically to evade detection at checkpoints—skills that require specialized instruction, hands-on practice, and ongoing recertification. You can’t improvise it. Placing untrained personnel at security checkpoints does not fill a void. It creates one.
It is unclear whether ICE agents are legally able to assist in these tasks. Please discuss civilly in the comments, I suspect they will have to be closed at some point, but don’t forget to follow comment rules.
