On March 23, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), with the encouragement of President Donald Trump, deployed Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers to airports across the United States (including Puerto Rico). This move comes after the Transportation Safety Administration (TSA) began to run short on officers to run operations at major airports, following a partial shutdown of the government that led TSA officers to not be paid until further notice. I should note at this point, though, that, as of March 26, Trump announced an executive order that would begin paying officers immediately under emergency provisions.
TSA, which serves as the nation’s primary line of defense against safety hazards on airplanes and in airports, has been struggling many times in recent months, with this being the most recent bout in a list of growing problems involving federal workers. During the government shutdown in the fall, TSA ran short of officers after just a few days, leading to hours-long lines at major airports across the U.S. There was also a brief time a few weeks ago, due to the same partial shutdown we are currently facing, where Global Entry and TSA Precheck were suspended. These persistent issues have caused headaches for travelers nationwide, leading to major schedule changes to travelers who arrived at airports like Louis Armstrong International Airport in New Orleans with up to three-hour lines.
Even airlines have gotten fed up, with Delta Airlines pulling benefits for members of Congress and their families for the foreseeable future unless TSA funding is restored. Just a day after ICE entered airports, an Air Canada regional jet collided with a fire truck in New York’s LaGuardia International Airport, after only one controller was present in the tower. Suffice to say, air travel has not been going well at all these past several weeks, with air traffic controller issues persisting year-round so far. TSA is now just another casualty in a long list of air travel agencies that have been facing issues with government funding or support.
Now, back to ICE in airports. On Sunday, March 22, a day before the full rollout of ICE at airports, ICE officers arrested a mother and daughter at San Francisco International Airport, after their travel plans and citizenship status were flagged by TSA and reported to ICE. The video of the arrest shows a blatant abuse of force on two late-night travelers who, despite having a deportation notice from 2019, were not real criminals or a threat to the public. Now I have my own opinions on what should’ve occurred and how immigrants should be treated in this country, especially women and children, but I will steer closer to what this story is about, which is my opinions on ICE.
See, the reason I don’t believe ICE belongs in airports is just by the simple fact that most of these officers have never done a real background check, are not trained in airport operations like TSA officers are, have had a history of using excessive force in small situations, and have historically pulled weapons on peaceful or harmless protesters. In my opinion, ICE currently poses a greater threat in airports than anyone else in the country right now. ICE does not recognize that a gun does not equate to a feeling of safety, especially if it’s in their hands. Not to mention, we have seen images of ICE officers who look no older than 25, who clearly have no prior law enforcement experience, which goes to show how much our DHS cares about the real safety of our airport patrons.
This blatant misuse of resources not only shows the Trump administration’s clear addiction to using fear instead of alliance with the people of the U.S., but also shows how the administration does not understand how to use its own resources at its disposal. Instead of getting local police (who traditionally help in airport operations, depending on the city and state) or other real law enforcement agencies involved in assisting TSA, the administration chooses poorly trained, fragile, and force-using ICE officers who have no experience in airport operations. We even see it in the photos of the officers standing around on phones, standing on mezzanines with their guns in hand, and grabbing food from the airport McDonald’s while TSA officers continue to struggle with their current shortage of staff.
ICE is not helping, and they do not belong in airports. They have shown time and time again that they are all under-qualified for their positions. They do not belong in the world of law enforcement and cannot continue to exist as an agency.
Video of ICE arrest at San Francisco draws Democrats’ anger | AP News