President Donald Trump confirmed that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents deployed at US airports have the authority to arrest “illegal migrants.” He described airports as “very fertile territory” for such enforcement actions.
Donald Trump talks about ICE Agents arresting ‘illegal migrants’
The remarks came as the administration deployed up to 150 ICE officers to airports nationwide amid worsening Transportation Security Administration staffing shortages during the ongoing partial government shutdown.
Speaking to reporters before boarding Air Force One on March 23, President Donald Trump addressed questions about the role of ICE at airports. When asked whether travelers would see ICE arresting undocumented immigrants at airport facilities, Trump responded affirmatively.
“Yeah, that’s why the Democrats are going crazy because they’ve allowed by what they did and the holdup,” Trump stated. “We’ve put ICE, who are a very high level. I mean, they really are a high level group of people and they love it because they are able to now arrest illegals as they come into the country. That’s very fertile territory but that’s not why they are there. They’re really there to help (via Fox News).”
Nearly 50,000 TSA officers have worked without pay since February 14, when funding for DHS lapsed amid congressional gridlock over immigration policy. The financial strain has led to increased call-outs and resignations. DHS reported Monday that more than 400 officers have quit since the shutdown began, with Sunday seeing the highest call-out rate so far at nearly 12%.
Now, unlike TSA personnel, ICE officers continue receiving pay because Congress funded immigration enforcement agencies separately for the current fiscal year. ICE officers have been spotted at major airports, including Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta, Chicago O’Hare, LaGuardia, JFK, Newark Liberty, and William P. Hobby Airport in Houston.
The New York Times described agents walking in small groups through terminals and standing near exits, observing rather than actively screening passengers. Lastly, Trump’s ICE deployment has yet to show a measurable impact on wait times.
Originally reported by Devanshi Basu on Mandatory.
