Summary
The U.S. government deployed Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents to help with airport security operations due to staffing shortages at the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). Data shows varying wait times at major airports, suggesting that ICE deployment has had mixed effects on reducing delays.
Key Facts
- ICE agents were sent to help TSA at airports across the country.
- TSA faced staffing shortages due to a partial government shutdown, causing longer wait times for passengers.
- Analysis of wait times at different airports showed inconsistent results, with some having stable times and others experiencing long delays.
- Charlotte, Ronald Reagan Washington National, and Minneapolis–Saint Paul airports had wait times around 5 minutes throughout the observed week.
- George Bush Intercontinental Airport saw wait times as high as 180 minutes on two days.
- Orlando, Miami, and Phoenix airports experienced some improvements in wait times over the observed period.
- Some airports had paused reporting, meaning data was temporarily unavailable.
- ICE agents helped with logistics and crowd management but did not conduct the TSA screenings themselves.
