The Trump administration has confirmed it will deploy Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to US airports from Monday, as long security queues worsen during a partial government shutdown.
President Donald Trump said the move was intended to support airport security operations and assist Transportation Security Administration staff who have been working without pay since 14 February.
The operation will be led by Trump’s border adviser, Tom Homan, who said on Sunday that ICE officers would begin arriving at airports the following day.
Writing on Truth Social, Trump said ICE agents would help “our wonderful Transportation Security Administration agents” who have remained on duty despite the shutdown, which stems from a Senate impasse over immigration enforcement rules.
Homan told State of the Union on Sunday that ICE officers would not carry out screening duties but would support TSA staff by covering basic security tasks, such as guarding exits.
He said this would allow trained TSA officers to return to screening roles and help reduce lengthy queues. Details of the deployment were still being finalised, he added.
More than 400 TSA staff have left their jobs since the shutdown began, according to NBC News, while others have called in sick. The staff shortages have led to hours-long delays at security checkpoints across the country.
Photographs over the weekend showed queues stretching into car parks at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport and at LaGuardia Airport.
Homan said priority would be given to large airports where passengers are facing waits of up to three hours. A final deployment plan was expected by the end of Sunday.
Democrats in the Senate have blocked funding for the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees the TSA, while seeking reforms following the killing of two US citizens by immigration agents in Minneapolis in January.
Pressed by CNN presenter Dana Bash on how prepared the plan was, Homan said the tasks ICE officers would perform were straightforward and did not require specialist aviation training.
Trump said on Saturday that ICE agents would deliver airport security “like no one has ever seen before”.
The plan drew criticism from lawmakers and unions. Senator Lisa Murkowski described the move as a “bad idea”, arguing that the priority should be ending the shutdown and paying TSA staff.
House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries warned against deploying ICE agents at airports, saying the public did not need “untrained” officers in such sensitive settings.
The American Federation of Government Employees, which represents more than 50,000 TSA workers, also condemned the plan. Its president said ICE agents were not certified in aviation security and should not replace unpaid staff.
US flight attendant unions echoed the criticism, accusing the administration of creating unnecessary disruption and failing to protect aviation safety during the shutdown.
