US Immigration Agents Deployed to Airports Amid Government Shutdown

US President Donald Trump Announces Deployment of Immigration Enforcement Agents at Airports

In a move aimed at addressing the ongoing security crisis at major US airports, President Trump announced on Sunday that immigration enforcement agents will be deployed across major United States airports starting Monday. The decision was made in response to the prolonged political standoff in Washington, which has resulted in tens of thousands of workers, including Transportation Security Administration (TSA) screeners, going unpaid since February 14.

According to DHS officials, over 366 TSA employees have resigned, and unscheduled absences have more than doubled, leaving major airports struggling to cope. The situation has led to lengthy queues at airports such as Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson and New York’s JFK, with some passengers advised to arrive at least three hours before departure.

The deployment of immigration enforcement agents, led by Tom Homan, will take on supporting roles such as monitoring exit lanes and checking identification, freeing TSA officers to focus on screening lines. The Transportation Secretary, Sean Duffy, warned that the situation is likely to worsen before it improves.

The crisis stems from Congress’s failure to renew funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which oversees airport security. Democrats have refused to pass a full DHS funding bill unless the administration agrees to reforms of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The deployment of untrained ICE agents at airports has raised concerns, with some lawmakers warning that it could repeat the conduct that had already cost lives.

In an unusual intervention, billionaire Elon Musk offered to pay the salaries of TSA workers. A detailed plan for which airports and how many agents will be deployed is expected to be finalized by the end of the day.

Source: Al Jazeera