Trump Deploys ICE to Airports Amid Shutdown

It's March 22nd.

This is Adelaide News today, local news powered by AI.

President Trump has directed immigration and customs enforcement

agents to help manage security lines and major U.S. airports.

This move comes amid a partial government shutdown that's left

transportation security administration workers unpaid and

caused massive backups for travelers.

The shutdown stems from a funding battle in Congress, where

Democrats are pushing for reforms in how federal immigration

agents operate.

Without a deal, hundreds of thousands of homeland security

staff, including those from the TSA and Coast Guard, have

gone weeks without paychecks.

Travelers are facing chaos at busy hubs like Atlanta and New

York's John F. Kennedy, with lines stretching for hours and

crowds growing anxious.

Officials worry about unpredictable wait times, forcing

people to arrive extra early just to make flights.

White House border official Tom Homan is coordinating the

effort, focusing on large airports with the worst delays.

ICE agents, already present for investigations, could handle

tasks like watching exits or verifying IDs to free of TSA

screeners.

Discussions with agency leaders continue to nail down

details, like which airports get help first, aiming to roll

out a plan soon and ease the strain on everyone flying

through.