Where things stand
• ICE deploys to airports: Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents have been deployed to 14 airports today to help with crowd management during the ongoing Department of Homeland Security shutdown. The Transportation Security Administration has faced growing callouts from officers who have gone without pay since DHS funding lapsed in February
• Growing travel woes: Travelers across the country have been dealing with worsening airport wait times, with George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston warning flyers that security lines could exceed four hours to get through. Track wait times at major airports here.
• No end to shutdown in sight: There are few signs lawmakers will reach an agreement to fund DHS, which includes TSA, ahead of a scheduled holiday break. President Donald Trump injected a new demand Sunday, saying he doesn’t want to make a deal unless Democrats support an elections overhaul bill.
ICE is at 14 airports, Trump's border czar says, and "there will be more"
White House border czar Tom Homan said Monday that Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents have been deployed to 14 US airports to assist TSA agents and that Americans should prepare to see more.
“You got 14 right now, and there will be more,” Homan told reporters at the White House.
“We’re there to help the American people transit those lines that are taking hours, because the Democrats shut the government down, because the Democrats are punishing the men and women of TSA, because they don’t like immigration enforcement,” Homan said.
Homan’s comments come after President Donald Trump rejected an offer to end the Department of Homeland Security shutdown last night, sources told CNN. The potential off-ramp would have funded every part of DHS but ICE, as Democrats demand changes to federal immigration reform.
Trump, however, told Republicans to “only settle” if they can pass the “SAVE America Act,” a federal elections overhaul bill that faces near-impossible odds in the Senate, the sources said.
Asked by CNN whether he plans to go back to Capitol Hill to meet with a bipartisan group of senators, Homan said he’ll do whatever the White House asks of him.
“He asked me last week. I was up on Hill last week, several times having discussions. I’m not a legislator. I’m not a politician. My role up there is explain what ICE does, what Border Patrol does,” Homan said.
14 US airports will see ICE agents today, border czar says
Fourteen US airports will see Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents today, White House border czar Tom Homan said.
A source with knowledge of the plans previously told CNN 13 airports were listed, omitting Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport. However, ICE agents were seen at Bush Airport on Monday.
The 14 airports include:
- Chicago-O’Hare International Airport
- Cleveland Hopkins International Airport
- Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport
- Houston’s William P. Hobby Airport
- John F. Kennedy International Airport (New York)
- LaGuardia Airport (New York)
- Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport
- Luis Munoz Marin International Airport (San Juan, Puerto Rico)
- Newark Liberty International Airport
- Philadelphia International Airport
- Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport
- Pittsburgh International Airport
- Southwest Florida International Airport (Fort Myers, Florida)
- Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport
The list is subject to change, and different plans have been made for how to use agents at each airport, the source said. For example, some ICE agents may monitor lines of passengers while others help with bins.
LaGuardia Airport in New York City remains closed after an Air Canada plane collided with a fire truck on the runway Sunday night.
Where things stand in Congress as the Homeland Security shutdown drags on
The Department of Homeland Security has been ensnared by a partial government shutdown that began February 14, after Congress failed to fund the agency.
The Transportation Security Administration is among the DHS divisions affected by the funding impasse, and travelers are experiencing the impact firsthand.
Negotiations to end the partial government shutdown appeared stalled yesterday, with President Donald Trump injecting a new demand: In a Truth Social post, the president said he wouldn’t accept any deal to fund DHS unless Democrats back the “SAVE America Act” — a federal elections overhaul bill that faces near-impossible odds in the Senate.
Here’s what led to the standoff and where talks stand now:
- Dozens of Senate Democrats are demanding major reforms to DHS’ Immigration and Customs Enforcement before they will agree to fund the agency for the rest of the fiscal year. The shooting deaths of Alex Pretti and Renee Nicole Good by DHS immigration agents during protests in Minneapolis in January sparked widespread public outcry and prompted the Senate Democrats’ demands.
- Democrats have tried to fund DHS’ other divisions, including the TSA, but Republicans have said they won’t do so for slices of the agency.
- Two of the big sticking points are whether to require judicial warrants for immigration enforcement action and to require ICE agents to remove their masks — both key Democratic demands that the White House has resisted.
- Senate Majority Leader John Thune said yesterday that lawmakers were making “some headway,” warning that things could get “pretty bad” if a deal isn’t reached in the coming days.
Trump’s ICE airport idea came after a radio host pitched it on Fox News
“Linda from Arizona,” a caller on a conservative talk radio show, might deserve the credit or blame for the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents deploying to airports across the United States today.
The caller said on “The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show,” “I think I have a solution to the TSA problem.” She said, “We need to bring in ICE agents.”
“It’s kind of a brilliant idea,” co-host Clay Travis said.
That exchange aired on the radio on Friday afternoon. President Donald Trump announced his vision for ICE agents at airports on Saturday afternoon.
What happened in between? Travis appeared on one of Trump’s favorite Fox News shows and personally pitched the idea.
The White House hasn’t commented on whether Trump did, in fact, hear the TV segment and act accordingly. But Trump has a decade-long track record of watching Fox and posting his reactions on social media.
Read more about the exchange here.
Trump was offered a DHS shutdown off-ramp but he didn’t take it -- yet
President Donald Trump was presented Sunday with a potential off-ramp to the more than month-long Department of Homeland Security shutdown: fund every part of the department except enforcement operations by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, two sources familiar with the conversations told CNN.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune spoke with Trump right after staff presented the idea to the president, but Trump rejected the idea as he took to Truth Social to attack Democrats for not backing the “SAVE America Act,” a federal elections overhaul bill that faces near-impossible odds in the Senate, the sources said.
As part of the plan, Trump was told lawmakers could fund immigration pieces of ICE using reconciliation – the arcane budget process that allows Senate Republicans to pass bills with just 51 votes, the sources said. That process last summer allowed the GOP to inject billions into immigration enforcement last summer without Democratic support.
The funding idea marked a major reversal for Republicans who have blocked similar proposals from Democrats for weeks and reflected the shifting political dynamics as security lines grow across the country at understaffed airports.
Houston airport down to 2 security checkpoints; warns of 4-hour wait
Travel woes continue across the country, with George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston warning passengers that wait times could exceed four hours Monday.
The airport has five terminals with approximately 130 gates, according to the Houston Airport System, but Monday morning only two security checkpoints were open, the airport system said in a statement to passengers.
The number of available TSA screening lanes can vary based on several factors, including staffing levels, according to the statement.
“TSA wait times at IAH could exceed four hours today, March 23. Please plan accordingly,” the statement said. “Thank you for your patience during this federal government shutdown.”
As of 10 a.m. CT, the airport was reporting a 150-minute wait at one security checkpoint and 180 minutes at the other.
Cancellations fill the departure board at LaGuardia Monday morning
The electronic departure board in LaGuardia’s Terminal B is a sea of red as flights in and out of the normally busy hub are grounded after the deadly Air Canada crash that killed two pilots and injured dozens of passengers.
Stranded passengers camped out in the terminal overnight waiting for word on if and when they would be able to continue their journeys.
The airport is expected to reopen at 2 p.m. ET, though passengers CNN spoke with in the terminal said they are skeptical that will happen.
“We’re learning this information as they’re (the airlines) learning it, a passenger from Chicago, Katie Rojas, told CNN. “Every few hours last night, everything was changing.”
Rojas said she hopes the airport is on track to reopen Monday afternoon as planned so she can get home.
Tips for traveling with kids as airport woes worsen
What’s worse than standing in a TSA line for five hours or more? Standing there with young children. If you simply can’t reschedule your trip (and that’s worth a try), it’s time to pack some supplies in addition to your patience.
Here’s some advice to get you through:
• If you have an infant or baby who is breastfeeding, make sure you bring enough food and drink to fuel your breastmilk production for the entire day. If you’re using formula, pack enough for the whole day (you can mix powder with water before and after security). Pack enough diapers for the babies, wipes and changes of clothes for all of children.
• For older children, pack all the snacks and make sure you bring enough to feed them a meal if airport restaurants run out of their favorite nuggets or you can’t leave the security line.
• Your electronic devices will eventually run out of juice, so bring backup chargers and pack books, card games and crossword puzzles to keep them busy. And while we’re talking tech, print boarding passes for everyone at home, even if you usually use your phone, as it could die before you get to show your ticket.
• Any child who can’t yet walk will need a stroller at some point during the line, and even those who don’t use them anymore might want to the line lasts a while.
• Even if you’re checking luggage, consider a carry-on suitcase to bring those supplies with you through security. And prepare to be forced to toss all liquids should you be lucky enough to get to clear security. (Hence the powdered formula.)
• Lastly, try to tell your children an age-appropriate version of what’s going on, and remind them to say thank you to any airport worker trying to do their jobs under difficult circumstances. It’s never too early to cultivate a little bit of empathy.
More than a third of Atlanta airport TSA officers have called out, general manager says
More than a third of Transportation Security Administration officers at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport have called out, as travelers continue to wait in hourslong lines to get through security, Ricky Smith, the airport’s general manager, said.
Smith said on CNN the callout rate at the airport is about 36%.
He said the airport is doing what it can to help.
“We’re giving them food vouchers,” Smith said. “We have our concessionaire partners that are also providing meals to them. We’re providing free parking.”
Trump says ICE will conduct arrests at airports, but "that's not why they're there"
President Donald Trump said Monday that federal immigration officers will conduct arrests of undocumented immigrants as he sends them to help struggling Transportation Security Administration officers at US airports.
“Yeah, yeah,” Trump told reporters. “That’s why the Democrats are going crazy.”
Appearing to backtrack a little bit, Trump added: “They love it, because they’re able to arrest illegals as they come into the country. That’s very fertile territory, but that’s not why they’re there; they’re really there to help.”
Trump took credit for the idea of putting ICE agents at US airports when asked by CNN’s Kaitlan Collins. He said he called border czar Tom Homan about it, who was on board.
Trump also threatened to bring in the National Guard at airports if the situation doesn’t improve.
“I want to thank ICE, because they stepped in so so strongly. They’ll do great. And if that’s not enough, I’ll bring in the National Guard,” Trump said.
Tom Homan told Dana Bash on Sunday that ICE agents will be at airports to alleviate some of the burden on TSA workers, specifically with security. ICE has previously conducted immigration arrests at airports.
“We’re simply there to help TSA do their job in areas that don’t need their specialized expertise, such as screening through the X-ray machine. Not trained in that? We won’t do that,” he said, noting how ICE agents “are assigned at many airports across the country already.”
"One person is doing the job of five people," Chicago-bound passengers say
A small group of passengers on a Chicago-bound United Airlines flight spent the night inside Terminal B at LaGuardia Airport after Sunday’s fatal crash.
Diana Cruz and Katie Rojas said their flight was delayed Sunday night because of a light out on board and an odor.
The Port Authority fire rescue vehicle involved in the deadly crash with the Air Canada plane was heading to their aircraft.
“They just had us evacuate, and then they just had us get our bags,” Cruz said. “We’ve been here all night.”
The group said they have been rebooked on a flight Monday afternoon, but if there are more cancellations and delays, they might forgo flying altogether and drive.
Rojas said they are now more aware of and worried about the safety of air travel in light of the crash and staffing troubles facing TSA and air traffic control.
“I think it’s definitely concerning during this shutdown if there’s so many staff shortages, we can’t really ensure that everyone’s where they need to be or are doing what they’re supposed to,” Rojas said. “One person’s doing the job of five people.”
“Just kind of glad that we’re all safe now that we have learned about it because it could have been us, it could have been anyone at this point,” Cruz said.
Here's how TSA officers get paid
Just as many travelers faced long, winding security lines last week across the US during the partial government shutdown, many may not realize the complicated path money takes to reach Transportation Security Administration officers’ paychecks.
There are about 61,000 TSA employees currently caught in the middle as Congress remains locked in a stalemate over funding the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees TSA. Considered essential workers, they must remain on the job at the nation’s more than 430 commercial airports during the shutdown, even though they won’t get paid until the lapse ends.
TSA’s budget is funded in part by a fee you pay when booking your plane ticket. That passenger fee, also known as the September 11 Security Fee, was established by Congress in the aftermath of the terror attacks of September 11, 2001. It is currently $5.60 per one-way trip and capped at $11.20 per round trip.
The fee is collected by the airline you book with and is itemized with taxes and carrier-imposed fees on your receipt. The airlines then pass along the fee revenue to TSA.
Trump says masked immigration agents not an "appropriate look" for airports
President Donald Trump said today that he asked immigration agents working at airports not to wear masks because it wasn’t an “appropriate look” for the setting.
Trump dispatched the agents to airports to supplement Transportation Security Administration workers amid a funding impasse that has shut down the Department of Homeland Security for over a month, leading to long wait times at certain airports.
Among the points of dispute in the funding disagreement is whether immigration agents should be prohibited from wearing masks. Trump on Monday said he generally supports masking but nevertheless did not want them worn at airports.
“For purposes of the airport, I’ve requested that they take off the mask,” he said. “And I believe they are willing to do that.”
DC resident misses flight after a 6-hour security wait in New Orleans
Washington, DC, resident Adam Robins, 31, was scheduled to fly from New Orleans to Reagan Washington National Airport on a 5:36 p.m. flight Sunday after a weekend wedding.
He arrived at the airport at noon Sunday and said he finally got through security at 6:30 p.m. — after his flight had already departed.
Now he’s on a flight to Dallas this morning and on to DC — turning what was supposed to be a three-hour direct flight into a nearly 30-hour journey.
“I have a pet at home and had to scramble to make arrangements for someone to get a key to check in on her,” Robins, a physician working for a startup as a strategy manager, said.
“It was miserable, everyone looked so defeated.”
What it's like at the Atlanta airport this morning
ICE agents have been spotted walking the perimeter of Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport as long lines of passengers form at the terminals The immigration agents have been sent to multiple airports to assist with security to ease the Transportation Security Administration’s workload during the partial government shutdown.
The agents were not acting as TSA officers or checking folks in, CNN observed. Atlanta Police has added extra officers to supplement ICE’s presence. Passengers are currently waiting over three hours in line.
A few Atlanta police officers told CNN their days off were canceled and they are working 12-hour shifts to support their airport roles.
CNN affiliate WANF captured the scene in Atlanta:
Passengers at LaGuardia wait for airport to reopen
Passengers at LaGuardia Airport are camping out inside of Terminal B as the airport remains closed in light of the fatal crash overnight.
CNN saw passengers unpacking their suitcases to form makeshift beds as they prepare for a long day inside of the airport.
One couple stood looking at the board of cancelations before finding a spot on the floor to wait until the airport closure is lifted.
The airport is set to reopen at 2 p.m. ET following the fatal collision between a passenger jet and emergency vehicle that killed the plane’s pilot and first officer.
Security line stretches outside Atlanta airport
Travelers at Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport are waiting in extremely long security lines as the partial government shutdown continues.
CNN’s Ryan Young shows a TSA PreCheck line that stretches outside the building:
Travelers at Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport are waiting in extremely long security lines as the partial government shutdown continues. CNN's Ryan Young shows a TSA PreCheck line that stretches outside the building.
Trump urges "NO MASKS" for ICE agents at airports
President Donald Trump is urging Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to not wear masks while assisting with security at US airports, while refusing to budge on agents wearing them during immigration operations.
“I am a BIG proponent of ICE wearing masks as they search for, and are forced to deal with, hardened criminals,” Trump said in a social media post, as he once again criticized his predecessor’s administration for its border policies.
“I would greatly appreciate, however, NO MASKS, when helping our Country out of the Democrat caused MESS at the airports, etc. Thank you!” Trump added.
One of the demands Democrats have made in the ongoing battle in Congress over Department of Homeland Security funding is that ICE agents not wear masks. Both Republicans and Democrats have blamed each other for the funding lapse and its impact on TSA agents and airport wait times across the country.
Border czar Tom Homan told CNN’s Dana Bash on Sunday that ICE agents will be at airports to alleviate some of the burden on TSA workers, specifically with security.
CNN reported earlier on Monday that ICE agents had appeared for duty at US airports across the country without masks.
ICE agents begin appearing at US airports unmasked
Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents have begun appearing for duty at US airports across the country without masks.
The agents are wearing identifiable insignia, as many travelers are reporting seeing agents monitoring crowds.
Jim Wold, a passenger traveling to Houston from New Orleans, told CNN at 5:30 a.m. local time, the line extended out into the parking garage to check his bag. Six minutes later, he could see ICE agents at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport, directing people and providing security.
By 5:43 a.m. CT, he was in line for TSA PreCheck inside the building, a line that was shorter compared to standard screening.
Long lines snake through Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson Airport
Long lines filled with passengers are shuffling through Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport as travel disruptions intensify at airports across the country today.
TSA officers caught in the middle of the partial government shutdown are at risk of missing a second paycheck.
TSA screening lines could be seen snaking through baggage claim areas and out the door at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International this morning.
Starting today, ICE agents will have a presence at airports across the country to assist with security and ease the Transportation Security Administration’s workload, as talks to fund the Department of Homeland Security have yet to yield a breakthrough, President Donald Trump said.
One traveler in Atlanta described the airport as “mass chaos.” As of this morning, wait times at major airports varied, with the highest of 150 minutes recorded at Houston’s George Bush International.
