ICE agents will deploy to airports to help TSA. What we know about MIA and FLL
Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents will be moving into U.S. airports starting Monday to help relieve long lines for travelers amid the partial government shutdown, according to Trump’s border czar, Tom Homan.
President Donald Trump announced the plan in a Saturday social media post, stating that ICE agents would be moved into airports to “do Security like no one has ever seen before, including the immediate arrest of all Illegal Immigrants who have come into our Country...”
During a Sunday interview on CNN’s “State of the Union,” Homan said ICE agents are doing immigration enforcement at airports “all the time,” so the operation will not change anything in that respect.
“This is about helping the men and women of the TSA,” Homan said on the show. “They’ve lost several hundred employees. The lines are really slow because of the shutdown. This is about helping TSA do their mission and getting the American public through that airport as quick as they can while adhering to all the security guidelines and the protocols.”
As of early Sunday afternoon, Miami International Airport had not been notified by TSA or ICE about agents being assigned, spokesperson Greg Chin told the Miami Herald.
Chin directed a reporter to a TSA spokesperson, who didn’t immediately respond. Spokespeople for the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport and ICE also didn’t immediately respond Sunday to questions from the Herald.
On Monday, CNN reported that there are 13 U.S. airports where ICE agents will be deployed. Neither MIA nor FLL made the list. The only Florida airport on the list is Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW) in Fort Myers.
In recent weeks, many United States travelers, including those at MIA, reported longer-than-usual security lines, delays and flight cancellations, as TSA agents have been working without pay since mid-February.
Homan told CNN his focus will likely be major airports with longer lines. ICE agents probably won’t be able to assist with airport screening processes because that involves special training, but they can help out with issues such as crowd control, he said.
Lauren Bis, acting DHS assistant secretary for public affairs, said in a statement to the Herald that Trump is using every tool available to bolster TSA efforts and minimize air travel disruptions , “especially 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,” Bis said. “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, that are currently funded by Congress, to airports being adversely impacted.”
This is a developing story that may be updated.
This story was originally published March 22, 2026 at 3:04 PM.
