PHOTOS: Airline Travelers Encounter Armed ICE Agents at Airports Across the Country

Airline travelers across the country were greeted with the sight of armed Department of Homeland Security and ICE agents on Monday. President Trump ordered the officers to be dispatched to at least 13 airports in what he claimed is an effort to ease long security lines caused by the ongoing shutdown of DHS. 

What those agents are doing on the ground is less clear. Photos and videos from New York City’s JFK International and LaGuardia Airports, Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson and Houston’s Bush Intercontinental — some of the facilities with the worst delays — showed armed, uniformed officers walking the halls, clustered in corners chatting, and standing watch over winding security lines. 

Per NBC News, ICE personnel aren’t able to perform screening duties since they aren’t trained to use magnetometers or X-ray machines. Instead, they’re supposed to be helping out with crowd control, monitoring lines, and checking IDs. 

As TPM’s Emine Yücel has reported, Senate Democrats and Republicans appeared to be moving towards a deal in which the Transportation Security Administration, FEMA, and the Coast Guard would be funded, restoring the lapsed paychecks of workers at those agencies, while the two parties negotiate over funding for ICE. But Trump has tried to torpedo that plan, insisting that Republicans pass the controversial — and likely to fail — SAVE America Act, a voter suppression bill, before reopening DHS. 

For now, travelers are stuck in hours-long lines at some of the nation’s busiest airports as TSA workers quit or call out sick. NBC reported that the call-out rate for TSA workers reached a high of 11.76% on Sunday, and is much higher at some airports, reaching into the low 40s.

Below, we share photos from Getty capturing the chaotic scene at the nation’s airports on Monday.