Hundreds of U.S. immigration agents are now working at major airports. This is because many Transportation Security Administration (TSA) workers are absent. The government has been partially shut down for weeks. This means federal employees have not received their salaries.
The immigration agents started their work on Monday. This happened after a very busy Sunday for air travel. Many TSA agents did not go to work on Sunday. Over 3,400 TSA agents were absent nationwide. This caused big problems at airport security. In Atlanta, more than 40% of TSA staff were not there. Other big airports also had many absences. This led to long lines and travel delays.
The White House said sending ICE agents was needed. It helps with the TSA staffing problem. Former ICE Director Tom Homan agrees. He thinks it fills an important need. However, Democrats strongly disagree with this action. They call it a dangerous and political move. They worry immigration agents will do civilian security jobs. This could confuse people and make travelers feel scared.
President Trump also made a request. He reportedly asked ICE agents not to wear masks. He said masks did not look right at an airport. He did say masks can be useful for other police work. Critics are worried about this request. They think it is an unnecessary and bad decision.
The main reason for the TSA problem is the government shutdown. It is now in its fifth week. The shutdown is because of disagreements about money for a border wall. Not getting paid has made federal workers unhappy. Sending ICE agents is meant to help airports now. But opponents think it is a way to pressure people in the funding dispute. We do not know what will happen next.