ICE Agents Are In Airports Nationwide To Help TSA In The Midst Of Partial Government Shutdown [VIDEO]

In it seems rather bizarre while we are in conflict with the Middle East we are in the midst of a partial government shutdown that has left our first line of defense in air travel without paychecks.  In an effort to help ICE agents have been tasked with the duty of helping out nationwide as TSA lines have grown out of control.

Since the shutdown began at the end of January, security wait times have gotten out of control, averaging about three hours at airports like Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson. Officials say hundreds of TSA agents have quit, with thousands more calling out sick after Congress failed to pass a funding bill for the Department of Homeland Security, which includes TSA.  ICE agents have been spotted at airports across the country this morning, stepping in to assist with long lines as the partial government shutdown has TSA workers calling out sick and some hanging their jobs up because they haven’t received a paycheck to even afford to drive to work.

A partial government shutdown began in February 2026 due to a funding lapse for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Congressional Democrats and the administration are deadlocked over oversight of immigration operations following fatal shootings by federal officers. The impasse affects agencies like the TSA, Coast Guard, and FEMA, forcing some staff to work without pay, with republicans saying there’s ‘no end in sight’.   Democrats have refused to back a funding bill that includes money for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) without reforms to the current policies in place. The party is pushing to see masks removed from immigration agents, the use of judicial warrants and body-worn cameras. 

ICE agents are expected to report directly to TSA leadership and focus on managing lines to move passengers through more efficiently. Officials have made it clear that the agents’ role is limited, noting they are “not supposed to conduct any form of immigration enforcement” and have also been directed not to wear masks.

See video below