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.
ICE agents were deployed at over twelve major travel hubs across the country, with agents seen in Atlanta, San Francisco, New York, and New Jersey. This comes as Donald Trump has threatened further action against everyday working-class people. Posed as a way to expedite lines at airports, ICE agents can be seen patrolling airports rather than processing security lines.
ICE agents are not trained to handle security at airports, unlike the thousands of TSA agents who show up to work every day. With this news to come, many are in fear of targeted harassment across the United States.
The Trump administration is calling for democrats to open the government, which has been holding out in an attempt to restrict funding of DHS. The truth is that Democrats are not the majority; they are not in control to pass legislation allowing the government to fully reopen after a partial shutdown when a funding bill was not passed.
On January 29, 2026, the Senate failed to advance the government funding package in a 45–55 vote. Seven Republicans joined all Democrats in opposing the bill.
