ICE Could Remain at Airports
AP Photo/Manuel Balce
White House border czar Tom Homan said Sunday that it is still uncertain whether Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers will continue working at airports after Transportation Security Administration employees begin receiving their back pay.
Speaking on CNN’s State of the Union, Homan explained that the future role of ICE at airports will largely depend on how many TSA workers return to their jobs and how many may have already left their positions. He noted that officials are waiting to see the staffing situation before deciding whether ICE officers will still be needed.
“It depends how many TSA agents come back to work,” Homan said. “We also have to see how many TSA agents have actually quit and have no plans to return.”
ICE officers were sent to airports last Monday to help handle duties normally managed by TSA staff. Their responsibilities have included checking identification, controlling crowds, and monitoring access to security checkpoints. The assistance was needed because the partial government shutdown had caused staffing shortages at the TSA.
President Trump signed an order Friday to restore pay for TSA employees. When asked on Sunday why the decision to resume pay had not been made earlier, Homan declined to give a detailed explanation.
“I’m a cop. I don’t understand the whole appropriations language or appropriations law,” he said. “I’m just glad that President Trump is able to pay the TSA agents.”
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