The Department of Homeland Security said on Wednesday that it will deploy 500 Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers to airports in New York on Thursday to assist Transportation Security Administration officers, as the partial government shutdown has reached 40 days.
ICE officers had already been deployed to at least 13 major airports, including New York’s LaGuardia Airport and John F. Kennedy International Airport, earlier this week, but the New York travel hubs will be getting additional support as thousands of TSA officers have called out sick due to the shutdown, according to NewsNation.
The DHS shutdown has caused TSA officers to work without pay, leading many to call out or quit, resulting in hourslong wait times at airport security lines.
Due to the strain on TSA workers, President Donald Trump directed ICE officers to be deployed to airports, where they will focus on maintaining “more of a presence” at airport security checkpoints, acting more as background support due to their lack of training to carry out TSA responsibilities. Roughly 150 officers are already deployed
Lauren Bis, the acting assistant secretary for public affairs at the DHS, told the Washington Examiner that 481 TSA workers have quit their jobs and “thousands more” are calling out because they “can’t afford basic necessities.”
New York’s JFK International Airport has seen the highest call-out rates in the country, with 36.8% of TSA officers calling out this week, Bis said. LaGuardia Airport saw 17.1% of TSA officers call out.
The shutdown began Feb. 14 when Democrats blocked efforts to fund the DHS over concerns about ICE’s immigration enforcement and removal operations, citing the need for reform in training standards and protocol for officers.
Bis faulted Democrats for the shutdown and praised Trump’s initiative to deploy ICE to airports for assistance.
“As Democrats continue to put the safety, reliability, and efficiency of air travel at risk, President Trump is taking action—deploying hundreds of ICE officers, already funded by Congress, to support airports facing the greatest strain,” Bis said. “This step will strengthen TSA operations, help keep our skies safe, and reduce disruptions for the traveling public.”
As lawmakers remain in limbo over DHS funding, Elon Musk offered to pay TSA officers’ salaries to compensate for the income they have been denied since February.
MUSK OFFER TO PAY TSA OFFICERS POSES ‘GREAT LEGAL CHALLENGES,’ WHITE HOUSE SAYS
However, the Trump administration declined Musk’s offer because it could pose legal challenges if he already holds government contracts, the White House told the Washington Examiner. The White House said it “greatly appreciates” Musk’s offer but said the best way to ensure federal workers are paid is to end the shutdown.
The Washington Examiner reached out to the DHS for confirmation.
