Democrats and other observers slam deployment of US immigration agents to airports as dangerous and source of tension. Published On 23 Mar 202623 Mar 2026Immigration agents have begun deploying to some airports in the United States as a federal government funding battle has led to long delays and staffing problems at airports across the country.The Reuters news agency reported on Monday that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) confirmed it has begun deploying hundreds of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents to assist in security at airports facing significant staffing issues.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of listOfficials told Reuters that ICE and Homeland Security Investigations officers were being deployed to more than a dozen airports across the country, including New York’s John F Kennedy International Airport and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.CNN also reported that at least four ICE agents were seen at Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey outside New York.The deployment comes as congestion has soared at US airport security screening stations due to a weeks-long budget standoff over President Donald Trump’s mass deportation drive. Federal immigration agents are deployed to John F Kennedy International Airport in New York on March 23, 2026 [Ryan Murphy/AP Photo]Some DHS funding has lapsed since February 14 as Democratic Party lawmakers demand reforms in the wake of Trump’s deadly immigration crackdown in Minnesota.One of the DHS agencies whose funding has been cut is the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), the agency responsible for airport security screenings, meaning its staff have worked for weeks without pay. Advertisement Many TSA agents have begun calling out from work, and more than 300 employees have quit since the shutdown began, according to DHS.Speaking to reporters on Monday, Trump said he had requested that ICE agents deployed to US airports remove their face masks. “I don’t like it for t …
