ICE agents take bigger role amid long TSA lines at airports Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents have been deployed at 14 major U.S. airports to assist Transportation Security Administration workers as Congress continues to debate a resolution to the partial government shutdown. The staffing shortages at TSA have led to record-long security wait times, with travelers facing delays as the weekend travel rush approaches. President Donald Trump announced plans to use funds from the One Big Beautiful Bill, a law he signed last year, to pay TSA agents who have been without paychecks. However, the timeline for distributing the payments depends on the internal review process to allocate the funds. The Senate approved funding for most of the Department of Homeland Security, including TSA, during an overnight session, signaling progress in resolving the crisis. The House still needs to approve the bill before TSA and other agencies can resume operations. Meanwhile, ICE agents have been managing security lines, distributing water to weary travelers, and assisting with crowd control. While their role includes verifying IDs and monitoring entrances, they are not trained for specialized security tasks like operating X-ray machines. TSA staffing shortages have worsened, with over 3,120 officers absent from work on Wednesday, according to agency data. Many TSA workers have quit or called in sick after six weeks without pay. Airports have responded by redirecting staff from other departments, urging travelers to arrive earlier, and bringing in external security personnel. At Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport, wait times reached four hours, prompting TSA to send 32 officers to help manage the situation.#president_donald_trump #transportation_security_administration #george_bush_intercontinental_airport #ice_agents #hartsfield_jackson_international_airport
