Lead: On March 23, 2026, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents were dispatched to several major U.S. airports as travelers faced unusually long security lines amid a partial federal shutdown. The surge in wait times has been tied to elevated absences and resignations among Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers after the agency went without regular pay since mid-February. Airports including Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson, New York’s JFK and LaGuardia, and Houston hubs reported delays; some passengers missed flights after multi-hour waits. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the White House said the ICE deployment aims to speed processing at checkpoints and relieve overwhelmed TSA staff.
Key takeaways
- ICE agents were ordered to assist at multiple U.S. airports on March 23, 2026, according to the White House and DHS statements.
- TSA employs more than 50,000 officers nationwide; DHS says the shutdown prompted more than 400 quits and thousands of call-outs affecting screening capacity.
- Passengers reported waits of up to nearly two hours at major hubs, with anecdotal reports of travelers barely reaching gates in time.
- LaGuardia briefly closed Monday after an Air Canada regional jet collided with an emergency vehicle; Newark faced a short FAA ground stop when controllers evacuated a tower over a burning smell.
- The partial shutdown began in mid-February 2026; lawmakers remain deadlocked over DHS funding and immigration-policy conditions tied to recent police shootings in Minneapolis.
Background
The partial federal shutdown that has affected DHS functions started in mid-February 2026 when Congress did not pass a full appropriation for several agencies, leaving many DHS employees working without their regular paychecks. TSA officers—numbering over 50,000—have continued to staff checkpoints but have reported elevated absences and resignations tied to financial strain; DHS cited more than 400 departures and thousands of call-outs. The impasse followed political negotiations in which some lawmakers linked DHS funding to changes in federal immigration enforcement after high-profile fatal encounters in Minneapolis.
Air travel was already vulnerable to operational shocks: previous shutdown-related shortages of key aviation personnel in early 2019 and late 2025 prompted airline and travel-industry warnings as absences rose among critical staff. Airline executives and travel groups have criticized Congress for allowing essential public-safety roles to go unpaid during recurrent funding fights. At the same time, air-traffic control pay and operations differ: FAA staffing and pay arrangements are distinct and, in this instance, were not subject to the same withholding as TSA payroll.
Main event
On March 23, the White House relayed that ICE personnel would be sent to multiple airports to assist with workflow at checkpoints. White House border advisor Tom Homan told CNN’s State of the Union the agents would help “move those lines along,” including by guarding exits so TSA officers could remain on screening lanes. DHS issued a statement blaming Democratic lawmakers for the shutdown while saying the personnel shifts were intended to minimize traveler disruption.
At New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport, passenger Andrew Leonard arrived at 4:45 a.m. for a 7 a.m. flight and said it took him nearly two hours to clear security—he reached the gate just as boarding began. Other large hubs reported similar stresses: Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson and Houston airports logged elevated wait times and travelers missed flights or rerouted to other airports. The cumulative effect of absences, resignations and isolated operational incidents compounded delays across the system.
Separately, LaGuardia Airport was closed Monday morning after an Air Canada regional jet collided with an emergency vehicle on Sunday night; the closure pushed some travelers to use JFK. Newark Liberty International Airport experienced a brief FAA ground stop after a burning smell in an elevator led controllers to evacuate the tower, further adding to congestion around New York City.
Analysis & implications
Operationally, deploying ICE personnel to assist at checkpoints is a stopgap measure that addresses immediate labor shortfalls but raises questions about role fit and authority. ICE officers have law-enforcement training but do not routinely perform checkpoint screening duties; officials described their tasks as logistical support—guarding exits and freeing TSA staff to perform specialized screening. If absences persist, agencies may need longer-term staffing solutions such as emergency pay authorizations, rapid hiring, or mutual assistance agreements with other federal or state entities.
For travelers and the airline industry, sustained screening shortages translate into flight delays, missed connections, and higher costs. Airlines and travel groups have already urged lawmakers to restore funding quickly, warning that repeated shutdowns can erode consumer confidence and spike operational expenses. The recent pattern—disruptions followed by late appropriations—creates uncertainty for planning summer travel and peak-season schedules.
Politically, the deployment sharpens debate over how to fund and condition homeland security operations. DHS’s public blame of Democrats for the shutdown and the linkage in negotiations to immigration-policy changes reflect a broader partisan standoff. Any durable fix will require Congress to reconcile budget language and oversight demands with operational continuity for public-safety agencies.
Comparison & data
| Event | Start | Core issue | Major travel impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Early 2019 shutdown | Jan–Feb 2019 | Budget stalemate | Escalated absences among aviation staff; travel delays |
| Late 2025 shutdown | Dec 2025 | Appropriations gap | Short-term disruptions; rapid resolution after travel impacts grew |
| Mid-Feb to Mar 2026 partial shutdown | Mid-Feb 2026 – ongoing | DHS funding tied to immigration policy | Long security lines, TSA pay withheld, ICE deployed |
The table highlights a recurring pattern: funding gaps that persist into intensive travel periods can quickly translate into operational stress. TSA’s workforce size—more than 50,000 officers—means that even a small percentage of absences can produce outsized effects at major hubs. DHS reported over 400 TSA resignations tied to the current shutdown; unions say hundreds have left or called out.
Reactions & quotes
Passengers described frustration and anxiety as delays stretched into hours and disrupted travel plans. A frequent traveler at JFK characterized the scene as unusually severe for a major hub.
“I fly out of this terminal all the time and this is insane,”
Andrew Leonard, passenger
White House and DHS officials framed the ICE deployment as a practical response to urgent staffing gaps and disputed responsibility for the impasse.
“We’re simply there to help TSA do their jobs in areas that don’t need their specialized expertise,”
Tom Homan, White House border advisor (on CNN)
DHS issued a statement pointing to the human toll on TSA employees and attributing the cause to the shutdown negotiations.
“This pointless, reckless shutdown of our homeland security workforce has caused more than 400 TSA officers to quit and thousands to call out,”
Department of Homeland Security (official statement)
Unconfirmed
- The exact number of ICE agents deployed to airports and the full list of deployment locations had not been disclosed publicly as of March 23, 2026.
- The precise, long-term plan for ICE involvement—whether temporary support or a sustained supplement to TSA staff—remains unclear pending further agency guidance.
Bottom line
The March 23, 2026 deployment of ICE agents to some airports is a remedial step to relieve acute screening bottlenecks caused by elevated TSA absences during a partial government shutdown. While it may reduce wait times in the short term, the move is not a substitute for restored appropriations, sustained staffing, or targeted operational fixes within TSA. Travelers, industry groups and lawmakers will be watching whether Congress provides emergency pay relief, hires additional screeners, or reaches a political settlement that prevents future disruptions.
For now, the episode underscores how fragile travel operations can be when essential public-safety payrolls are unsettled. If the shutdown continues, expect additional operational shifts, pressure on hiring and retention, and continued industry calls for a legislative resolution that prioritizes both security and continuity of service.
Sources
- CNBC (news report summarizing events at airports and official statements)
- U.S. Department of Homeland Security (official agency statements and press releases)
- American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) (union representing TSA employees)
- Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) (official aviation operations notices)