ICE agents to be used at Pittsburgh International Airport
Agents from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrived at Pittsburgh International Airport Monday to help screen passengers amid a partial government shutdown that has led to long lines at many airports.
President Trump announced the move over the weekend. The shutdown has stopped paychecks for Transportation Security Administration (TSA) employees, who usually handle passenger screenings. Many TSA employees have walked off their jobs, leading to a staffing crisis.
Pittsburgh International Airport is one of 14 major U.S. airports where ICE agents will be deployed. The other airports will reportedly include those in Cleveland, New Orleans, Atlanta and both New York airports.
Dan Lagiovane, an airport spokesman, confirmed that ICE agents arrived at the airport Monday morning, though their presence was not yet visible in the airport’s terminal.
A statement from the Allegheny County Airport Authority (ACAA), which oversees Pittsburgh International Airport and the Allegheny County Airport in West Mifflin, said it is “aware of the announcement from the federal government that ICE agents will be deployed at airports across the country. Federal agencies have not announced the exact plans for how ICE will operate at airports, but our leadership team remains in close contact with our federal partners at TSA and others, as well as local law enforcement with Allegheny County Police.”
It also said, “How federal agencies operate is not something that any airport, including ACAA, controls.”
Trump said on social media over the weekend, “I will move our brilliant and patriotic ICE agents to the airports where they will do security like no one has ever seen before.” The president also stated on social media that he does not want ICE agents to wear masks at airports. The agents have worn masks during immigration raids, a tactic that has become controversial.
The partial government shutdown that began Feb. 14 has left the Department of Homeland Security unfunded. Democrats on Capitol Hill are demanding that ICE agents refrain from wearing masks during raids and clearly identify themselves before funding for Homeland Security is resumed. Congressional Republicans and the Trump administration have not agreed to these proposals, saying it is necessary for ICE agents to be masked in order to protect themselves and their families.
The partial government shutdown has affected employees in agencies working under the Homeland Security umbrella, including the TSA and the Federal Emergency Management Agency.