Which airports have ICE officers been sent to? Here's what to know
Officers with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement have been sighted at airports across America after President Donald Trump called for their deployment over the weekend.
ICE officers have reported to more than a dozen U.S. airports this week to assist Transportation Security Administration agents with extreme crowds amid a partial government shutdown.
The move to send in ICE officers aims to "strengthen TSA operations, help keep our skies safe, and reduce disruptions for the traveling public," Department of Homeland Security acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis said in an emailed statement to USA TODAY on March 25.
But some travelers have questioned the purpose of the armed officers stationed at airports as long lines persist despite their presence. ICE officers are not trained to operate X-ray machines, among other TSA operations.
Here's where presence of ICE officers has been reported so far this week.
Which airports have ICE agents reported to?
Trump sent unmasked ICE agents to an initial batch of airports on Monday, March 23, as standstill crowds persisted due to TSA agent absenteeism.
CNN reported the initial 13 locations where ICE officers were sent, noting their jobs could vary by airport and deployments could change. The New York Times reported that ICE and Homeland Security Investigations personnel would be sent to a total of 14 airports.
Since then, media reports have identified additional airports where ICE officers were present. Here's a list of those locations, according to reports.
- Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD)
- Cleveland Hopkins International Airport (CLE)
- Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL)
- Houston’s William P. Hobby Airport (HOU)
- New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK)
- New York’s LaGuardia Airport (LGA)
- Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY)
- Puerto Rico's Luis Muñoz Marin International Airport (SJU)
- Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR)
- Philadelphia International Airport (PHL)
- Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX)
- Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT)
- Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW)
In addition, ICE officers have been reported at the following airports:
- Dulles International Airport in Dulles, Virginia (IAD)
- Washington Reagan National Airport in Arlington, Virginia (DCA)
Have ICE officers been sent to LAX, DFW, other major airports?
As of March 25, here are some of the major U.S. airports where ICE officers have not been reported since Trump's directive, according to local media reports:
- Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)
- Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW)
- Denver International Airport (DEN)
- Orlando International Airport (MCO)
- Las Vegas Harry Reid International Airport (LAS)
- Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT)
- Miami International Airport (MIA)
DHS did not confirm the exact list of airports with ICE deployments with USA TODAY.
Where are the highest levels of TSA absenteeism?
DHS identified the airports with the highest TSA agent absentee rates as of March 25.
Here are the airports with the top TSA absentee rates, according to DHS:
- Houston’s William P. Hobby Airport – 43.0%
- Houston's George Bush Intercontinental Airport – 39.8%
- John F. Kennedy International Airport – 36.8%
- Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport – 36.6%
- Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport – 35.6%
- Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport – 28.1%
- Philadelphia International Airport – 27.8%
- Pittsburgh International Airport – 20.2%
- Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport – 18.8%
- Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport – 17.6%
- New York’s LaGuardia Airport – 17.1%
The agency's statement to USA TODAY did not indicate if TSA agent absentee rate correlated with ICE officer deployment to respective airports. The administration maintains that the deployment of ICE officers' is meant to relieve pressure on airports "facing the greatest strain," Bis said in the email statement.
What is ICE doing at the airport?
Photos and videos of ICE agents at airports have prompted some travelers to wonder about the agency's role in facilitating airport operations, given they are not trained to perform TSA screenings.
Officers have been seen watching security queues, handing out water bottles and providing passengers with directions.
"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," White House border czar Tom Homan, whom Trump appointed to lead the operation, said earlier this week. "We're just simply helping our fellow officers at TSA."
TSA officers say ICE agents are adding confusion as staffing shortages fuel airport delays during the partial government shutdown.
Is ICE conducting immigration enforcement at airports?
ICE agents deployed to airports are not supposed to be conducting broad immigration enforcement or randomly arresting travelers, based on Homan's comments to CNN earlier this week. The stated purpose is to assist with airport operations during the shutdown, not to screen immigration status.
How long will ICE be at US airports?
There was cautious hope on Capitol Hill as of March 25 a deal to fund DHS could be on the horizon. This would pay TSA agents and allow them to return to work and bring quick relief to clogged airport operations.
How quickly ICE officers will vacate airports, or if their presence will continue at any capacity, has yet to be confirmed by the administration.
Contributing: Nathan Diller, Michelle Del Rey, Kathleen Wong
