Immigration Enforcement — 2026-03-23
ICE Agents Deploy to 14 Airports as TSA Union Warns Untrained Personnel 'Create Gaps, Not Fill Them'
ICE agents deployed to 14 airports on March 23 as the DHS shutdown entered its 43rd day with 50,000+ TSA employees working without pay. AFGE president Everett Kelley warned that 'ICE agents are not trained or certified in aviation security' and that deployment 'does not fill a gap — it creates one.' TSA officers undergo months of explosive/weapons detection training; ICE's basic training had 240 hours (40%) removed. Call-out rates hit 42.3% at New Orleans, 41.5% at Atlanta, and 37.4% at JFK. Border Czar Tom Homan acknowledged ICE agents will 'likely not oversee X-ray machines because of lack of training.' Trump stated agents could also 'arrest illegals as they come into the country.'
Analysis
Prior digest reported national TSA call-out rate at 11.76%. Airport-specific data now shows extreme variance: 42.3% at New Orleans vs. national average, indicating the crisis is unevenly distributed and worst at smaller hub airports.
Prior digest reported national TSA call-out rate at 11.76%. Airport-specific data now shows extreme variance: 42.3% at New Orleans vs. national average, indicating the crisis is unevenly distributed and worst at smaller hub airports.