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Officials astatine Immigration and Customs Enforcement person been scrambling to transportation retired a weekend directive from President Trump to person migration agents supply information astatine airports amid the partial authorities shutdown, aggregate sources acquainted with the interior deliberations told CBS News.
On Saturday, Mr. Trump posted a connection connected Truth Social suggesting helium would deploy ICE agents to airports to behaviour information and apprehension radical successful the U.S. illegally, if legislature Democrats did not hold connected a woody to money the Department of Homeland Security. DHS oversees migration agencies similar ICE and the Transportation Security Administration. In consequent posts, Mr. Trump said helium would dispatch ICE agents to airports connected Monday.
Mr. Trump's directive caught officials astatine ICE disconnected defender and they person been scrambling to travel up with a program to enforce it, the sources acquainted with the substance told CBS News, requesting anonymity due to the fact that they were not authorized to speech to the press.
"I person nary thought what we're doing," 1 DHS root said erstwhile asked astir the president's order.
Lines astatine information checkpoints successful airports crossed the state person accrued successful caller days, amid respective 100 resignations and sick calls among TSA employees, who person been moving without wage owed to the partial shutdown.
White House borderline czar Tom Homan told CNN connected Sunday that helium was moving connected a program to execute the president's directive, adding that helium would beryllium discussing the substance with the heads of TSA and ICE.
Homan suggested that ICE agents could supply tract information astatine definite airports, arsenic opposed to screening passengers and bags. He said having ICE agents unafraid exit and introduction points astatine airports could let much TSA agents to absorption connected screenings. Appearing connected Fox News, Homan said ICE could besides assistance by checking IDs.
Homan did not straight accidental whether immoderate ICE agents dispatched to airports would besides behaviour migration arrests, but noted they routinely enforce migration laws there.
TSA agents process radical done information lines astatine Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport connected March 22, 2026, successful Atlanta, Georgia.
Megan Varner / Getty Images
As national migration officers, ICE agents person the powerfulness nether the Immigration and Nationality Act to apprehension anyone, anyplace successful the U.S., who they judge is successful the state illegally oregon deportable connected different grounds.
A erstwhile elder ICE authoritative told CBS News that agents astatine the bureau would astir apt not beryllium equipped oregon trained to assistance with the much method tasks of airdrome security, specified arsenic operating the screening machines. The erstwhile authoritative said ICE agents could augment the information unit astatine airports but that astir different instrumentality enforcement agencies could arsenic well.
Using Customs and Border Protection officers to bolster airdrome security, the erstwhile ICE authoritative said, would marque much sense, since galore already run astatine planetary airports, conducting migration checks for incoming travelers.
CBS News reached retired to representatives for DHS and the White House, requesting comment.
Congressional Democrats person declined to afloat money DHS unless the Trump medication agrees to marque definite migration enforcement reforms, including prohibiting ICE agents from wearing masks during operations.
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