ICE Agents Deploying to Airport Security Lines Nationwide

UPDATED 11 a.m. - Palm Springs International Airport confirming no ICE stationed at the airport at this time.

ICE agents began showing up at TSA security checkpoints at airports across the country this morning, as the partial government shutdown continues to leave roughly 50,000 TSA employees working without pay.

President Trump announced the plan over the weekend, saying ICE agents would be deployed to help move travelers through security lines that have slowed significantly in recent weeks. Administration officials say about 10% of TSA workers have been failing to report for duty on some recent days, compared to a typical no-show rate of under 2%.

Border Czar Tom Homan, who is overseeing the effort, says ICE agents will not be operating X-ray baggage screening machines. "We're simply there to help TSA do their job in areas that don't need their specialized expertise," Homan said Sunday on CNN. He added that agents could fill roles like guarding exits, freeing up TSA officers to focus on scanners and move people faster. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy pushed back slightly, saying that because ICE falls under the Department of Homeland Security, agents do have the training to run X-ray machines and conduct pat-downs.

President Trump also said in a Truth Social post that ICE agents could make immigration arrests at airports while stationed there.

It is not yet clear which specific airports will see ICE agents today. Homan said they will prioritize airports with the longest security lines first.

The Palm Springs International Airport confirmed this morning that ICE Agents are currently not being deployed to their TSA lines. They cited that security wait times at PSP have stayed at 15 minutes or under throughout the shutdown, a stark contrast to some major airports where travelers are waiting hours to get through security. They will update the community if anything changes.