LOS ANGELES (CNS) – ICE agents were expected to begin handling some security duties at U.S. airports Monday amid an ongoing partial government shutdown that has sidelined many Transportation Security Administration officers, but there was no immediate indication any California airports would be involved in the effort.
U.S. border czar Tom Homan told CNN’s “State of the Union” on Sunday that the effort was about “helping TSA do their mission and get the American public through that airport as quick as they can while adhering to all the security guidelines and the protocols.”
“We’re simply there to help TSA do their job in areas that don’t need their specialized expertise, such as screening through the X-ray machine,” he said. “Not trained in that? We won’t do that. But there are roles we can play to release TSA officers from the non-significant roles, such as guarding an exit so they can get back to the scanning machines and move people quicker.”
Various media outlets reported Monday morning that ICE agents were being deployed to 14 airports across the nation — none of them in California.
Los Angeles World Airports, which operates Los Angeles International Airport, issued a statement late Sunday saying the facility has not experienced any significant security delays during the partial government shutdown.
Airport officials said they “anticipate no changes to our operations or the staffing of our federal partners at this time. This continuity is a direct result of the dedication, professionalism, and leadership of our local Transportation Security Officers and TSA leadership at LAX, who have continued to report to work and perform their duties under challenging circumstances. Their commitment has been critical to maintaining efficient operations and keeping security wait times low for travelers.”
A spokesman for Hollywood Burbank Airport told City News Service that security staff there were not aware of any plans for ICE officers to be deployed to the facility.
A spokeswoman for Orange County’s John Wayne Airport said local officials were working with their federal counterparts.
“Responsibility for the Transportation Security Administration, including staffing levels and resources, are determined at the federal level. We remain in close communication with our federal partners to receive information on efforts to mitigate potential impacts to travelers at John Wayne Airport,” airport Public Information Officer AnnaSophia Servin told City News Service.
On Saturday, President Donald Trump said he would order ICE agents to assist with airport security if Congress did not immediately reach an agreement to fund TSA officers.
In a social media post, Trump said ICE agents could also be tasked with making immigration arrests at airports.
“If the radical left Democrats don’t immediately sign an agreement to let our country, in particular, our airports, be FREE and SAFE again, I will move our brilliant and patriotic ICE agents to the airports where they will do security like no one has ever seen before,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
The proposal comes as a partial government shutdown has left roughly 50,000 TSA employees working without pay, contributing to increased absenteeism and staffing shortages at airports nationwide.
Administration officials said about 10% of TSA workers failed to report for duty on some recent days, compared to typical rates of under 2%.
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