He Immigration and Customs Enforcement Administration (ICE) watch over began to withdraw from several security standby points at airports in the United States, where it had been deployed to support the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) due to the increase in lines caused by the lack of non-public.
According to information published by Reuters, federal agents began to abandon their duties in some of the 14 airports where they were assigned since last March 23, in a measure promoted during the president’s administration donald trump to contain the chaos in the security filters.
The presence of ICE responded to an operational crisis at TSAafter numerous employees stopped showing up for work due to late payments during a period of budget stress. This caused long lines, significant delays and pressure on the country’s main airports.
Although ICE agents did not have the full training of TSA officers, Their work was key to streamlining the flow of passengers. Among its functions were checking identification at entrances, organizing lines and providing logistical support to travelers, even distributing water in waiting areas.
Airports confirm the withdrawal of ICE agents
In it Philadelphia International Airportone of the terminals where this measure was implemented, the interim executive and financial director, Tracy Borda, confirmed that the ICE presence has already ended.
“The good news is that, as we have been told, Starting Thursday there will no longer be ICE agents at the airport,” he declared during a budget hearing.
Borda added that, despite the unusual nature of the deployment, no relevant incidents were recorded during your stay.
“We really didn’t have any problems,” he said.
ICE presence remains latent
In Cleveland, authorities said officers withdrew since last Friday, while in Phoenix they stopped operating on Monday. Pittsburgh also reported the entire absence of ICE non-public in its facilities.
However, not all terminals have given clear details about the departure of the agents. Key airports such as those in New York (JFK, LaGuardia and Newark), as well as those in Houston and Fort Myers, have forwarded requests for information to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) or to the TSA itself, without offering direct comment so far.
Despite the withdrawal in security checks, the presence of ICE in airports does not completely disappear. Agents could continue with operations within the terminals as part of their usual duties of attending to immigration.
According to data cited by Reuters, collaboration between federal agencies in airport environments has resulted in more than 800 arrests since the beginning of the current presidential term until February 2026, which demonstrates the coordination between DHS agencies beyond extraordinary situations such as the recent crisis in security filters.
With the gradual normalization of TSA non-public and the reduction of lines, ICE withdrawal marks the end of an emerging measure.
Keep reading:
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- Trump sends ICE agents to airports and unleashes criticism from congressmen and organizations
