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LONG BEACH, Calif. () — Airports across the country faced long lines and delays over the weekend as large numbers of Transportation Security Administration (TSA) employees called out of work during the partial federal government shutdown.
President Donald Trump plans to deploy Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents beginning Monday to help bolster understaffed airport security checkpoints. Federal officials have not said which airports will receive additional personnel, though multiple sources familiar with the situation told News the plan involves 14 airports nationwide.
Long Beach Airport (LGB) was among those hit hardest by staffing shortages. More than 21% of TSA agents there did not report for work on Saturday, according to airport officials. Travelers at the airport on Sunday said they prepared for delays by arriving early, though many reported smooth experiences at other airports, including Sacramento, Reno and Salt Lake City.
With security lines backing up nationwide, the administration is turning to ICE for support. The staffing problems stem from the partial government shutdown, which has left TSA employees without pay for three weeks. On Saturday, more than 11.5% of TSA workers nationwide called out — the highest level since the shutdown began — with airports in Houston and New Orleans seeing some of the biggest impacts.
SEE ALSO: Record number of TSA officers called out Saturday as DHS shutdown continues
Travelers are waiting hours at some airports to pass through TSA checkpoints as more officers call out amid the ongoing DHS shutdown.
Travelers at LGB on Sunday said they hadn’t experienced any delays in their travels.
“We were hearing about it and said, ‘Let’s see, and there’s nothing we can do about it,'” traveler Violet Meuter said.
“I was a little concerned about it. You don’t like having unnecessary delays. There was no warnings or anything like that. We were at the airport. It was very smooth. I think it was like a full crew there, so not anything different,” said Long Beach resident Araceli Conde.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy defended the decision to use ICE agents at airports, saying they are trained to operate screening equipment.
READ MORE: Transportation Secretary Duffy says ICE agents are trained and can assist TSA at airports
News’ Morgan Norwood has the latest from Newark Liberty International Airport.
“They run those same type of security machines at the southern border, right? Packages come through, or people come through. They run similar assets,” he told .
But the national president of the American Federation of Government Employees disagreed, arguing ICE personnel are not trained or certified in aviation security.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom criticized the move on social media Sunday, writing, “By sending ICE into airports, Trump is proving the problem in real time: ICE has become the president’s lawless, under-trained, personal police force, deployed to serve his agenda — not the law.”
Some travelers expressed concern about the shift.
“I’ll be honest, I’m a little nervous about it,” said traveler Brandie Frye. “I don’t know what to expect or what vibe will be with additional employees there, but we’ll see what happens.”
The Department of Homeland Security says more than 400 TSA officers have quit since the shutdown began.
A spokesperson for Long Beach Airport said operations there had not been disrupted, but warned that “operations could become more challenging if the shutdown continues.”
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