With long lines and staffing shortages still straining airports during the federal shutdown, attention has shifted back to a decision by Donald Trump to deploy immigration agents as a temporary solution. What was presented as a quick fix is now fueling debate, as concerns continue to grow over the agents’ role and the effect their presence could have on airport operations. The situation has raised several questions about the impact on one of the country’s most important travel systems.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries fought back against the idea of ICE officers being deployed to airports, which he stated could lead to unpredictable situations, in a State of the Union interview. In a conversation with Dana Bush, Jeffries also showed his concern regarding the training level of ICE officers. According to him, their training was not suitable to handle situations related to the airport, including concerns about the use of force.
If Hakeem Jeffries believes that ICE is going to kill people at the airport like he claims here…
Then why aren’t he and other Democrats rushing to fund TSA???
pic.twitter.com/kC6WDiPXrY
— Tim Young (@TimRunsHisMouth) March 22, 2026
Federal immigration agents were deployed to 14 airports on Monday, including major hubs like John F. Kennedy Airport in New York and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport in Georgia. The move comes as airports struggle to cope with the effects of staffing shortages in the Transportation Security Administration, resulting in long lines at checkpoints. The staffing shortages stem from a partial Department of Homeland Security shutdown. The move comes after border czar Tom Homan announced the administration’s plan.
“Republican lawmakers would rather force TSA agents to work without pay, inconvenience millions of Americans all across the country, and now potentially expose them to untrained ICE agents and create chaos at airports throughout the land, rather than get ICE agents under control,” Jeffries said as reported by Fox News.
Another set of concerns was expressed by Sen. Richard Blumenthal, who wrote in his social media post that “introducing ICE agents in these settings could cause greater delays and create greater tension.” The possible outcomes that Blumenthal expressed were “delays in security lines, increased scrutiny of passengers, and even force against people and families.”
Blumenthal explained that this would not benefit the TSA operations or the travelers. This was said after Chuck Schumer told lawmakers that the idea of sending ICE agents to airports would likely get them into trouble.
He said, The last thing that the American people need is for untrained ICE agents to be deployed at airports all across the country, potentially to brutalize or in some instances kill them.”
“We have already seen how ICE conducts itself. These are untrained individuals when it comes to doing the current job they have, for the most part, let alone deploying them in close proximity in highly sensitive situations at airports across the country,” Jeffries continued.
pic.twitter.com/uAXKU6SDOY Hakeem Jeffries: “The last thing that the American people need are for untrained ICE agents to be deployed at airports all across the country, potentially to brutalize or, in some instances, kill them.”
— Lavy (@Lavy02) March 22, 2026
With the shutdown affecting operations at airports, federal immigration agents were deployed to various airports to assist the Transportation Security Administration in managing the situation. The move came a day after President Donald Trump issued a warning that immigration agents would be deployed to airports to assist the Transportation Security Administration in managing the situation in case a deal was not reached with Democrats in Congress regarding the shutdown.
Federal immigration agents are set to be deployed to over 14 airports, according to Tom Homan, with priority to be given to the largest travel hubs with the longest delays. However, the exact airports were not disclosed due to protest concerns.
This comes as Transportation Security Administration workers report to work without pay, with many opting to stay home due to the partial shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security, which began on Feb. 14 after a lapse in government funding. The immigration policies have also created a divide, as the Democrats are opposing it while the Republicans support it. Despite this, ICE and Customs and Border Protection operations continue due to the available funding allocations.
