Immigration Enforcement at Airports Continues Despite T.S.A. Pay Restoration
Border Czar Tom Homan claims ICE agents have helped reduce airport wait times by performing identification checks and closing security gaps, even after TSA pay resumed.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents may continue their presence at airports, even after the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) resumes paying its employees, according to Tom Homan, the former acting director of ICE and current border czar.
Homan contended on Sunday that wait times had decreased at airports since ICE agents arrived, doing identification checks and "plugging the security holes." He argued that the ICE agents' work has been essential to maintaining airport security and efficiency, even as the TSA grapples with the impact of the partial government shutdown.
The partial government shutdown, which lasted for 35 days, forced the TSA to operate with a reduced workforce as agents went unpaid. This led to increased wait times at many airports across the country. However, the presence of ICE agents has helped to mitigate these issues, according to Homan.
"ICE has been a huge force multiplier at the airports," Homan said during an interview on Fox News. "They've been doing identification checks, they've been plugging the security holes, and that's why you haven't seen the long lines and the TSA issues that you saw at the beginning of the shutdown."
Homan's comments come as the TSA has begun to restore full staffing levels now that federal workers are once again receiving paychecks. However, the border czar suggested that ICE's presence at airports may remain, even after the TSA's operations return to normal.
"I think you're going to continue to see ICE at the airports, because they provide a vital function," Homan said. "They've been a huge help in making sure that the airports remain secure and the lines remain moving."
The continued presence of ICE agents at airports is likely to be a controversial issue, as immigration enforcement is a politically charged topic. Critics of the Trump administration's immigration policies may view the move as an overreach of federal power, while supporters may see it as a necessary step to maintain national security.
Regardless of the political implications, Homan's comments suggest that the role of ICE in airport operations may be a lasting one, even as the TSA works to return to its normal staffing levels and procedures.
Source: The New York Times
