ICE will remain deployed "until airports are at 100%": Tom Homan
Key Takeaways
- Tom Homan says ICE (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement) agents will stay in U.S. airports to support TSA until operations return to “100%.”
- It has been reported that TSA staffing shortages and at least 500 resignations amid a prolonged DHS (Department of Homeland Security) funding lapse have caused long security lines and delays.
- The deployment is meant as an operational fix, but it raises concerns about immigration enforcement in travel hubs and the impact on travelers, immigrants and staff.
- The political stalemate over DHS funding continues; lawmakers remain divided over ICE and TSA provisions while airports struggle to resume normal operations.
What Homan said and what ICE will do
Tom Homan, a senior immigration official in the Trump administration, said ICE agents will continue to work in airports “until the airports consider they are at 100%” and can operate normally. ICE is U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. He framed the deployment as support for the TSA (Transportation Security Administration) amid staffing shortages caused by a partial DHS shutdown. It has been reported that Homan emphasized the priority is safety in terminals while staffing returns gradually.
Operational effects at airports
The partial shutdown of DHS has reportedly lasted more than six weeks and produced acute staffing problems at the TSA: long security lines, significant delays and, it has been reported, roughly 500 resignations with absenteeism in some terminals exceeding 50%. To keep checkpoints functioning, authorities have detailed personnel from ICE and CBP (U.S. Customs and Border Protection) to carry out identity verification and guard key areas. The administration also issued an executive order to redirect funds to pay TSA workers, but Homan warned that ICE assistance could continue if TSA staffing remains short.
Policy context and human impact
The funding impasse stems from disagreement in Congress over DHS appropriations, including whether to allocate money to ICE — the Senate and House remain at odds. Use of ICE in airports is operationally pragmatic but politically fraught. Many travelers and immigrant communities view increased ICE visibility in airports as chilling: even when enforcement at sensitive locations is generally discouraged by past DHS guidance, the presence of immigration agents can lead to extra screenings, travel disruptions, and fear of enforcement. For people with pending immigration cases, missed flights or delayed travel can mean missed interviews or hearings, adding direct immigration consequences to the logistical headaches.
Source: Original Article