Which US airports has Trump deployed ICE officers to?

(NewsNation) — Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers began appearing at airports across the country, where the partial government shutdown involving Transportation Security Administration (TSA) agents continues to snarl traveler traffic.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is declining to specify which airports are using ICE officers to assist TSA agents, citing “operational security reasons.” President Trump announced over the weekend that he would deploy ICE officers to airports beginning Monday amid the DHS shutdown.

White House border czar Tom Homan, however, said as of Monday, that ICE officers had been deployed to 14 airports. He added that federal officers were in place to help Americans transit security lines that were made longer by the shutdown — which Homan blamed on Democrats.

Asked Monday if ICE officers would be making immigration-related arrests, Homan said that they were there to assist TSA agents with security alone. The border czar said Sunday ICE officers would not be used to perform specialized TSA duties, including checking travelers’ identification as they enter screening areas.

Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons said Monday in Memphis that federal officers “are going to make sure those lines move.”

ICE officers walk through a long line of travelers at Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport on March 23, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Megan Varner/Getty Images)

The deployment of ICE officers to U.S. airports comes after ICE officers were involved in a deportation operation at San Francisco International Airport on Sunday. NewsNation local affiliate KRON reported the incident is unrelated to Trump’s plan to deploy ICE officers to airports.

In a Truth Social post, Trump asked that ICE officers not wear masks when “helping our country out of the Democrat caused MESS at the airports.”

The president told NewsNation on Sunday that ICE will remain in airports “as long as it takes.” Speaking by phone, Trump said Democrats’ interest in cutting a deal has grown since he announced the airport deployment but said he would not accept a standalone TSA funding measure.

“Now that I did this, the Democrats want to make a deal,” he told NewsNation. “And I don’t think any deal should be made on this until they approve Save America.”

However, leaders from the Flight Attendant Union are demanding that TSA agents be paid, as Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has warned that delays for travelers to get through security lines will only get worse if the government shutdown does not end soon.

The union, however, called the threat of “ICE invasion” at airports “another distraction from solutions that protect Americans,” adding that transportation security officers can’t be replaced.

The group added that the security officers go through six months of training, learning to screen passengers while evaluating and managing risks within the unique context of an airport. That training, union leaders said, includes how to identify disguised or disassembled weapons and explosives.

“This is expertise and training that ICE agents simply do not have, and cannot learn quickly,” the union said in a statement. “Furthermore, the introduction of ICE agents into airports creates contradictory missions, as attempts to question passengers about immigration status may distract them from ensuring airport security.”

DHS officials did not immediately respond to a NewsNation inquiry Monday about what instructions ICE officers assigned to airports have been given. In a statement about the deployment, DHS blamed the Democrats for the waits being experienced by American travelers “during this spring break and holiday season that is very important for many American families.”

“This pointless, reckless shutdown of our homeland security workforce has caused more than 400 TSA officers to quit and thousands to call out from work because they are not able to afford gas, childcare, food, or rent,” the statement read in part.

“While the Democrats continue to put the safety, dependability, and ease of our air travel at risk, President Trump is taking action to deploy hundreds of ICE officers, who are currently funded by Congress, to airports being adversely impacted,” DHS officials continued. “This will help bolster TSA efforts to keep our skies safe and minimize air travel disruptions.”

Here are the airports where NewsNation has confirmed ICE officers have been assigned.

Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport

Airport officials reported on social media Monday that the airport is continuing to see “longer than normal” wait times due to TSA staffing constraints.

In the post, officials said that travelers are encouraged to report at least four hours before their scheduled departure time. Over the weekend, an estimated 350,000 travelers moved through the Atlanta airport.

O’Hare International Airport in Chicago

ICE officers were spotted at O’Hare at several terminals Monday as officials announced that passengers may experience “longer-than-usual” wait times to get through airport security. The Chicago Department of Aviation reported that passenger traffic at O’Hare is expected to increase beginning Thursday and continue for nearly two weeks due to a spike in traffic traditionally caused by spring break.

Nearly 300,000 passengers are expected to pass through O’Hare on Thursday alone, the CSA said.

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson said Monday he has “concerns” about ICE officers being deployed to O’Hare and that his office will “closely monitor the deployment and use every tool we have to ensure that people, no matter their immigration status, can travel to and from Chicago safely and without harassment from the federal government.”

Johnson said in a statement released by his office that ICE had deployed 75 officers across multiple shifts at O’Hare as of Monday.

Cleveland Hopkins International Airport in Ohio

Airport officials confirmed that ICE officers had been deployed to Cleveland’s airport Monday, referring to the officers as federal partners.

“These personnel are supporting TSA operations in a non-screening role, including assisting with passenger flow and divesting,” Cleveland Hopkins Airport officials said in a statement provided to a local television station. “They are not conducting identification checks or screening passengers.”

The statement indicated that airport operations and passenger travel are not expected to be impacted by the presence of federal immigration officers.

Southwest Florida International Airport, Fort Myers

A spokesperson for the Lee County Port Authority in Florida confirmed that ICE officers were present at the Fort Myers Airport but directed any questions about the role of federal immigration officers to DHS.

The spokeswoman told NewsNation on Monday that security lines at the airport over the weekend were “manageable” but that passengers were being instructed to be in line to get through TSA checkpoints at least three hours prior to their scheduled departure time.

ICE officers have been sent to more than a dozen U.S. airports by President Donald Trump as the government shutdown has caused long delays in security lines. (Emily Lambert/NewsNation)

George Bush Intercontinental Airport and William P. Hobby Airport, Houston

ICE officers were spotted at both Houston airports on Monday, including Bush Intercontinental, where the wait to get through airport security had extended beyond four hours, The Houston Chronicle reported.

“Federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents are supporting TSA operations at U.S. airports, including IAH and HOU, as part of the federal response to the ongoing government shutdown, which began Feb. 14 and continues to impact TSA staffing as officers work without pay,” Houston Airports said in a statement.

Louis Armstrong International Airport, New Orleans

ICE officers were on-site at the New Orleans airport beginning Monday morning to assist dealing with high volumes of passenger traffic, NewsNation local affiliate WVUE reported. The report did not describe federal immigration officers as ICE specifically, instead referring to officers as “federal support.”

“We’re simply there to help TSA do their job in areas that don’t need their specialized expertise, such as screening through the X-ray machine,” an official told the local station.

Airport officials were advising passengers to arrive at the facility three hours before their scheduled departure time. Peak travel times out of New Orleans are listed as being between 4-7 a.m. and again between 3-6 p.m., the report indicated.

John F. Kennedy Airport, New York

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey confirmed to NewsNation that ICE officers have been deployed to the region’s airports, including JFK.

The agency directed specific questions about the role of ICE officers to DHS.

NEW YORK, UNITED STATES – MARCH 23: Federal agents are seen at the JFK airport as ICE agents have begun deploying at some U.S. airports amid the partial government shutdown in New York City, United States, on Monday, March 23, 2026. (Photo by Mostafa Bassim/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Officials wrote that security wait times were expected to be “significantly longer than normal” due to the federal funding lapse. In a social media post, JFK officials wrote that security line wait times are subject to rapid change based on passenger volumes and TSA staffing levels.

“For these reasons, wait time reporting has been temporarily suspended”, the post said, adding that travelers should allow for significantly more time to get through airport security.

LaGuardia Airport, New York

Like with JFK, ICE officers were spotted Monday at LaGuardia, which was closed for several hours after two pilots were killed and dozens of other passengers were injured Sunday after a jet and a fire truck collided.

Air Canada flight AC8646 from Montreal — a CRJ-900 plane — collided with a Port Authority firefighting vehicle while going about 24 mph.

The fire truck was responding to a United Airlines flight, which had reported a suspicious smell, officials said Monday.

“The Port Authority expects that any such personnel assigned to assist with passenger processing functions will be appropriately trained and focused on supporting screening operations, consistent with maintaining the safety, integrity, and efficiency of the security process at our airports and protecting the flying public,” officials said, confirming ICE officers have been deployed to LaGuardia.

Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey

Officials with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey confirmed that ICE officers are present in Newark and at JFK. Port Authority officials wrote that they expected federal immigration officers who are assigned to the airport to be “appropriately trained and focused on supporting screening operations,” the Port Authority’s statement said.

The training must be “consistent with maintaining the safety, integrity, and efficiency of the security process at our airports and protecting the flying public,” the Port Authority said.

Philadelphia International Airport

In Philadelphia, plain-clothes ICE officers were training at two major TSA checkpoints, a union representative of local TSA agents told CBS News.

“We don’t like the idea of ICE people coming to the airport,” Rich Gennetti, who represents Pennsylvania and Delaware union workers, told CBS News. “They’re not trained for this work, and frankly, they scare the public. We don’t want to scare the public at the airport. We want the travel experience to be a positive one. We don’t want these people, who are not trained to do it, and now have a damaged reputation, confronting the public. Who knows what would happen?

“They have arrived at the airport and we’re not happy about that. We don’t think that it’s appropriate for them,” Gennetti added. “They don’t have a place at the airport. It’s not the place to intimidate people. It’s not the place to scare people. We don’t want anybody injured, we don’t want anybody bullied. We don’t want people pushed around.”

Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport

The City of Phoenix Aviation Administration Department reported Monday that it had been notified that ICE officers will be assisting TSA agents with processing passengers at airport checkpoints.

“We expect all federal officers will operate in accordance with the law and in a manner that is consistent with the customer service standards (the airport) is known for,” the statement said.

Because the airport is city-owned, the facility is subject to federal regulation, and federal agencies, including ICE, have access to airport property, the city’s aviation department said.

“The safety and security of Phoenix Sky Harbor, its airport community, and travelers remain our number one priority,” officials added.

Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) called Trump’s plan to deploy ICE officers to airports “a disaster waiting to happen.”

“It’s going to continue scaring tourists from traveling here, hurting local small businesses and American workers the most,” Gallego wrote in a post on social platform X.

Pittsburgh International Airport

A spokesperson for the Allegheny County Airport Authority told CBS News that ICE officers were expected to be deployed in Pittsburgh and that there was no timeline for when federal immigration officers would arrive.

The Airport Authority previously said in a statement it was aware of ICE agents being deployed at airports and that it remains in close contact with federal partners at TSA and local law enforcement.

“Safety and security are always the top priority at airports around the country,” the authority said. “We will continue to closely monitor the situation and stay in contact with our law enforcement partners. How federal agencies operate is not something that any airport, including ACAA controls.”

The airport authority did not immediately respond to a request for comment from NewsNation on Monday.

Louis Muñoz Marín International Airport, San Juan, Puerto Rico

The San Juan airport was among those airports included in an NBC report that indicated where federal immigration agents would be sent on Monday.

Puerto Rico is an unincorporated territory of the United States, meaning its citizens are U.S. citizens and can travel freely between the island and the mainland.

The San Juan airport operates similarly to other U.S. airports, but Customs and Border Protection agents can ask passengers about their citizenship status. Homeland Security Investigations did not immediately return a message from NewsNation on Monday, seeking confirmation of ICE presence at the airport, as was reported by multiple media outlets.

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