Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens confirmed Sunday evening that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents will be deployed to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport beginning Monday morning, as the ongoing partial government shutdown continues to strain TSA operations nationwide.
Newsweek reached out to Dicken’s office via email on Sunday for additional comment.
The Context
President Donald Trump announced on Sunday that ICE agents will be sent to airports across the country to assist the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) amid the ongoing partial government shutdown affecting the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
TSA officers haven’t been paid since the DHS partly shut down on in February, after Democrats balked at funding the agency and demanded changes to immigration enforcement following the fatal shootings of U.S. citizens Renee Good and Alex Pretti by federal agents in Minneapolis in January.
The deployment carries particular significance given where it is happening. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport is the busiest and most efficient airport in the world — and the first airport ever to serve more than 100 million passengers in a single year. With 80 percent of the U.S. population within a two-hour flight, Atlanta offers nonstop service to more than 160 domestic and 80 international destinations, connecting travelers to major commercial centers across Europe, Asia, the Caribbean, Africa, and South and Central America.
Why Haven’t TSA Agents Been Paid?
On February 14, Congress let funding expire for the DHS amid a disagreement over immigration enforcement.
The funding stalemate emerged as Democrats pushed for policy changes in response to the fatal shootings of Good and Pretti during a large-scale federal operation in Minneapolis earlier this year, while withholding support for DHS funding in the absence of such reforms.
Funding for DHS failed to advance in the Senate on Friday after Democrats declined to support a bill. And in a rare weekend session on Saturday, the Senate rejected a motion by Democrats to take up legislation to fund the TSA. Republicans argue they need to fund all of DHS, not just parts of it.
According to DHS, more than 300 TSA agents have resigned amid the partial shutdown. Most TSA employees are classified as essential and remain on duty during the funding lapse but are working without pay.
Call-out rates have begun to increase at some airports, contributing to longer wait times at security checkpoints. Airports across the country are reporting delays and are advising travelers to arrive earlier than usual.
What To Know
Dickens said in the Sunday press release that officers from Homeland Security Investigations and ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations will be assigned to support TSA with line management and crowd control inside domestic terminals.
All federal personnel will report directly to TSA, and the mayor’s office said the deployment is not intended for immigration enforcement. There are no requests for Atlanta Police Department (APD) support and no anticipated impact on city operations.
The deployment is part of a broader White House effort led by border czar Tom Homan, who Trump tapped to oversee the airport security initiative. DHS spokeswoman Lauren Bis confirmed “hundreds” of ICE officers would be deployed nationally, but declined to name specific airports, citing security reasons. Homan said Sunday the priority would be large airports experiencing wait times of three hours or more.
Trump announced the plan on Truth Social, saying ICE would go to airports Monday to assist TSA agents who have stayed on the job despite the partial shutdown — and making clear the deployment would continue unless Democrats agreed to fund DHS.
What People Are Saying
Mayor Andre Dickens, in a statement: “Atlanta remains committed to ensuring that residents and travelers feel safe, informed, and supported as they move through the world’s busiest and most efficient airport.”
Adding: “Our Administration remains hopeful the Federal Government can soon find a way to fully fund TSA and pay their employees to resume standard operations at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport—and all airports we connect to.
President Donald Trump, via Truth Social: The Radical Left Democrats have hurt so many people with their vicious and uncaring ways. What they have done to the Department of Homeland Security, our fantastic TSA Officers, and, most importantly, the great people of our Country, is an absolute disgrace. If the Democrats do not allow for Just and Proper Security at our Airports, and elsewhere throughout our Country, ICE will do the job far better than ever done before! The Fascist Democrats will never protect America, but the Republicans will. Just like the Radical Left allowed millions of Criminals to pour into our Country through their ridiculous and dangerous Open Border Policy, the Republicans closed it all down, and we now have the Strongest Border in American History. Likewise, I look forward to moving ICE in on Monday, and have already told them to, “GET READY.” NO MORE WAITING, NO MORE GAMES!”
Tom Homan, White House Border Czar, told CNN’s Dana Bash on Sunday: “We’re going to be a force multiplier. I don’t see an ICE agent looking at an X-ray machine, because we’re not trained in that — but wherever we can provide extra security, we will.”
Sean Duffy, Transportation Secretary, told reporters: “Do I have to come an hour and a half early? Do I have to come four hours early? They don’t know until the day of or the afternoon of their flight. The president wants to take away that leverage point for Democrats and make travel easier for the American people.”
Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, House Democratic Leader: “The last thing that the American people need are for untrained ICE agents to be deployed at airports all across the country.”
Lauren Bis, DHS spokesperson, said in a statement earlier this week: “The Democrats’ reckless DHS shutdown is causing TSA officers to go without pay for the third time in nearly six months…Now, 366 TSA officers have left the force.”
What Happens Next
Dickens said Atlanta’s administration will continue to monitor the situation and remain in communication with the public as developments unfold.
Reporting from the Associated Press contributed to this article.
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