U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents are preparing to deploy to major airports nationwide beginning Monday, according to President Donald Trump, in a move intended to alleviate security line congestion caused by the ongoing partial government shutdown. The deployment comes as tens of thousands of Transportation Security Administration (TSA) employees continue to work without pay, and as Democrats in Congress refuse to fund the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) without addressing concerns over ICE operations.
The announcement prompted immediate warnings from immigration attorneys, who are advising noncitizens without permanent legal status to avoid all air travel. Ala Amoachi, an immigration attorney in East Islip, New York, stated, “If you don’t have legal permanent resident status… I would advise not to travel domestically at all. There’s always a risk if you don’t have legal status.” Amoachi reported receiving a recent inquiry from a man arrested while attempting to board a domestic flight.
The move to utilize ICE agents at airports represents a significant shift in the agency’s traditional role. Historically, ICE has not been involved in domestic travel security. However, in March 2025, the TSA began sharing information with ICE regarding travelers suspected of having deportation orders, facilitating quicker arrests at airports, according to reports.
The current impasse in Congress stems from a dispute over funding for DHS, which oversees both TSA and ICE. Democrats are demanding reforms to ICE operations following the fatal shootings of U.S. Citizens Renee Good and Alex Pretti by federal agents in Minneapolis in January. Republicans have blocked a Senate bill proposed by Democrats that would have funded TSA and other select parts of DHS without increasing funding for ICE.
President Trump, on social media Sunday, framed the ICE deployment as a necessary measure to address the security backlog and to arrest undocumented immigrants. “On Monday, ICE will be going to airports to help our wonderful TSA Agents… including the immediate arrest of all Illegal Immigrants who have come into our Country,” he wrote. White House border czar Tom Homan, appearing on CNN, echoed this sentiment, stating the operation was intended to expedite passenger processing.
The partial government shutdown, now entering its second month, has left over 400 TSA workers having resigned since funding expired on February 14th. The situation has created significant disruption for air travelers, with lengthy security lines becoming commonplace. A New York Times/KFF survey revealed that approximately one-third of all immigrants, and over 60% of those without documentation, avoided travel last year due to fear of encountering immigration enforcement.
Immigration experts are advising those with scheduled flights to designate individuals with access to their travel documents and attorney contact information. George Terezakis, an immigration and criminal defense attorney in Mineola, New York, cautioned, “Airports are generally places with high enforcement. I generally tell my clients, don’t travel unless you’ve had [an attorney] glance at your immigration history, especially if you have any kind of prior arrests.” Naresh Gehi, founder of Gehi & Associates, advised those without documentation to avoid domestic travel altogether, while those with green cards or visas to exercise their right to remain silent and request legal counsel before signing any documents.
As of Sunday, Democrats continued to demand changes to federal immigration agent conduct, blocking the passage of legislation in Congress. The future of DHS funding, and the ongoing deployment of ICE agents to airports, remains unresolved.
