Are ICE agents expected to assist TSA in Minnesota?

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. (KTTC) – Armed federal immigration officers in tactical gear moved through terminals at some of the busiest U.S. airports Monday, standing near security lines and checkpoints after President Donald Trump ordered their deployment during a partial government shutdown that has disrupted air travel nationwide.

“I want to thank ICE because they stepped in so strongly,” Trump said. “They’ll do great and if that’s not enough, I’ll bring in the National Guard.”

The Trump administration announced it would supplement Transportation Security Administration (TSA) staffing at certain airports but provided few details about exactly what they would be doing.

Minneapolis-St. Paul International (MSP) was not among the 14 airports identified Monday by the Department of Homeland Security.

“The Metropolitan Airports Commission is not aware of any planned changes for security checkpoint staffing at MSP at this time,” a spokesperson for the Metropolitan Airports Commission (MAC) told KTTC.

The 14 airports include:

• Chicago-O’Hare International Airport
• Cleveland Hopkins International Airport
• Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport
• Houston’s William P. Hobby Airport
• John F. Kennedy International Airport (New York)
• LaGuardia Airport (New York)
• Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport
• Luis Munoz Marin International Airport (San Juan, Puerto Rico)
• Newark Liberty International Airport
• Philadelphia International Airport
• Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport
• Pittsburgh International Airport
• Southwest Florida International Airport (Fort Myers, Florida)
• Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport

MSP is the 17th busiest U.S. airport for passengers and 21st for aircraft operations, according to MAC.

“During the partial government shutdown, TSA checkpoint wait times have consistently remained under 30 minutes at MSP Airport, despite heavy spring break travel,” the spokesperson said. “The relatively low wait times are a testament to the commitment of the local TSA team. We’re grateful for the TSA’s continued service to maintain smooth and secure travel for MSP passengers.”

Monday’s deployments came as hundreds of thousands of Homeland Security workers, including from the TSA, have worked without pay since Congress failed to renew DHS funding last month.

Funding for the department lapsed Feb. 14, when Democrats refused to fund ICE as well as Customs and Border Protection without changes to their operations after federal officers shot and killed Alex Pretti and Renee Good in Minneapolis. But, while routine funding used to pay TSA agents has lapsed, ICE and other immigration enforcement personnel are still receiving paychecks amid the shutdown—a result of Trump’s big tax cuts bill that became law last year.

After weeks of missed paychecks, many TSA agents have called in sick—or even quit their jobs—as financial strains pile up. The staffing shortages have forced some airports to close checkpoints at times, with wait times swinging dramatically for travelers.

TSA call-out rates climbed over the weekend. Nationwide on Sunday, 11.8% of TSA agents missed work—the highest rate of the shutdown so far—with over 3,450 officers calling out, according to DHS. More than 400 officers have quit during the shutdown, the department said.

Some fear that positioning federal immigration officers at security checkpoints will only escalate tensions. Union leaders representing aviation workers stressed that ICE officers don’t have the same training and expertise as TSA workers.

Everett Kelley, national president of the American Federation of Government Employees—which represents TSA officers—said in a statement that his members “deserve to be paid, not replaced by untrained, armed agents who have shown how dangerous they can be.”

Federal law enforcement officers are a routine presence at international airports. Customs and Border Protection officers screen arriving passengers, and Homeland Security Investigations agents conduct criminal inquiries tied to cross-border activity. But immigration agents are rarely visible at TSA checkpoints, the front line of domestic air travel.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Find stories like this and more, in our apps.