Washington, March 23 (NationPress) Major US airports are facing long security lines and increasing passenger discontent as the Trump administration has decided to deploy Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents to alleviate the strain on the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) during the ongoing Department of Homeland Security shutdown.

According to White House border czar Tom Homan, as reported by CNN, ICE agents will start their deployment at airports on Monday, assisting with security at both entrances and exits to help mitigate the burden on TSA as staffing shortages escalate.

A report from the Washington Post indicated that while Homan does not foresee ICE agents taking on specialized screening tasks like conducting X-ray examinations, they could assist in tasks such as securing exit doors and verifying passenger identification before they enter screening zones.

The administration and congressional Democrats have exchanged accusations as disruptions began to spread.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stated on X that “Democrats in Congress are deliberately inflicting this pain on American travelers and federal employees by allowing the Department of Homeland Security to remain shut down. It's unacceptable and indefensible.”

Fox News reported that airports nationwide are experiencing lengthy TSA lines and travel delays as staffing issues become more pronounced during the shutdown, with some waits extending for hours.

At Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport, one traveler remarked: “They are sending the line out into the parking garage.”

CBS News indicated that some passengers had to endure five-hour waits at Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport as TSA delays intensified amid what has been termed a nationwide staffing crisis linked to the shutdown.

A report from the New York Post noted that Atlanta airport faced “nearly 3-hour wait” times, with one traveler expressing on X: “The line is WRAPPING AROUND BAGGAGE CLAIM!!! THIS IS PURE INSANITY!!!!!!”

Additionally, the same report mentioned that absenteeism among TSA personnel had reached as high as 40% as agents missed paychecks during the shutdown.

As reported by the Washington Post, Homan characterized the deployment of ICE agents as a means to free up TSA personnel for more specialized duties. “We will be at the airports tomorrow assisting TSA in expediting those lines,” he stated, adding that this allows TSA officers to return to screening, thereby facilitating quicker passenger processing, and that ICE would serve as a “force multiplier.”

However, critics have raised concerns about whether this deployment will effectively reduce delays. The Post cited labor representatives and former officials who argued that many airport screening bottlenecks require technical expertise that ICE agents lack.

Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer commented, “This is quite alarming. Untrained ICE agents, who have caused issues wherever they have been deployed, lurking at our airports? That’s asking for trouble.”

According to Newsweek, 20 airports utilizing private screening contractors instead of TSA staff have largely avoided the extensive lines seen elsewhere. These airports in the Screening Partnership Program have maintained normal operations as private companies continued to pay their employees during the shutdown.

The increasing airport delays come as the shutdown places strain on one of the most visible aspects of the US government for everyday travelers, particularly during the busy spring travel season. Atlanta, being one of the busiest air travel hubs globally, has become a symbol of disruption, with images of overcrowded checkpoints spreading widely.