ICE agents arrive at Sky Harbor Airport amid ongoing DHS shutdown

ICE agents deployed to Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport

Federal ICE agents have been deployed to various airports across the country, including Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport. The deployment comes amid TSA staffing issues due to the ongoing partial government shutdown. FOX 10's Steve Nielsen reports.

PHOENIX - ICE agents are at Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport as of March 23, as agents were sent to airports across the U.S. to help with TSA staffing amid the ongoing partial government shutdown.

Big picture view:

At Terminal 4's Checkpoint A, about three ICE agents were seen working alongside TSA agents during the noon hour on March 23. The ICE agents were only seen directing traffic or helping to lift a bag. We did not see them operating any of the security machines at security.

The backstory:

According to the Associated Press, immigration officers are making their way to U.S. airports after President Donald Trump said he’d deploy them to supplement the Transportation Security Administration during a government shutdown that has caused long lines at security checkpoints across the country.

The deployments came as hundreds of thousands of Homeland Security workers, including from the TSA, have worked without pay since Congress failed to renew DHS funding last month. That’s led many TSA agents to call in sick — or even quit their jobs — as financial strains pile up. The staffing shortages have forced some airports to close checkpoints at times, with wait times swinging dramatically for travelers.

Featured

article

ICE agents at airports: Latest details as TSA wait times increase

ICE agents were seen in at least one major airport Monday to help with long TSA lines. Here are the latest details on where they’re working and what they’re doing.

TSA officials confirmed on March 23 that on the morning of March 22, more than 20% of TSA workers at Sky Harbor called out.

What they're saying:

Democrats want reforms at DHS and ICE before funding the department, and local Democratic leaders like Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego say bringing in ICE to work security is bringing in amateurs, and creates a risk at airports Americans should not tolerate.

"Bringing ICE into a crowded airport with passengers already stressed because of their travels, because of potential wait times, could turn into a powder keg," said Pascual Contreras, a transportation security officer at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. "An agency with a budget larger than the U.S. Marine Corps running around, not trained for what we're trained to do, how to deal with the traveling public. It's just not a good thought."

Republicans push back. Congressman Paul Gosar said simply, "Dems, do your job, fund the government."

What we don't know:

TSA says since the partial government shutdown began, more than 400 TSA officers nationally have quit. They didn’t reveal how many specifically at Sky Harbor.

It’s also unknown how many ICE officers are at Sky Harbor; DHS said they won’t say. As for what job functions they’ll perform here, that has also not been confirmed by the department.