ICE agents are expected to begin handling some security duty at at San Diego International Airport and other U.S. airports Monday amid an ongoing partial government shutdown that has sidelined many Transportation Security Administration officers, with border czar Tom Homan in charge of the effort.
Federal officials said Sunday that border czar Tom Homan would be in charge of the effort to use immigration enforcement personnel to supplement security at airports amid the shutdown, which has left roughly 50,000 TSA employees working without pay, contributing to increased absenteeism and staffing shortages at airports nationwide.
But some local officials are balking at the Trump administration's announcement, including a top TSA official at San Diego International Airport.
"I have no idea how they can contribute at an airport unless it was for intimidation purposes," Aaron Vazquez, a TSA lead transportation security officer at SAN and assistant airport steward for the American Federation of Government Employees Local 1260 in San Diego, told City News Service on Sunday. "What are they going to do, find somebody and shoot them?"
Vazquez said his job is to make sure travelers are not a threat to security, which has nothing to do with immigration enforcement.
"I don't want them anywhere near the checkpoint and officers that I'm in charge of. I don't want them interfering with what the officers are trying to do," Vazquez told CNS.
"I don't need an ICE agent telling passengers what to do. We are trained to be nice to passengers. They are law enforcement so they are armed. TSA is not," he added.
City Councilwoman and Airport Authority Board Member Marni von Wilpert also objected to the idea.
"ICE's aggressive, abusive conduct makes us less safe. Putting ICE in our airports will make travel more chaotic, more stressful, and less secure — not better," she said. "ICE has already shown it refuses to follow the law and respect our communities — so I'm deeply concerned about what this deployment will mean for San Diego travelers and the thousands of workers at San Diego International Airport.
"... The solution to long security lines and airport delays is simple: Congress needs to properly fund and staff TSA now," von Wilpert added.
".. I have been in touch with San Diego Airport Authority staff and legal counsel. We do not yet know the full scope of ICE's plans at the airport, but we are working to get answers and minimize disruption and anxiety for travelers and our workforce."
Rep. Scott Peters, D-Poway, posted a photo of long lines at the airport on Sunday with the following message:
"View from the San Diego airport at 6:30 this morning. It doesn't have to be like this. I have a bill to pay TSA workers, Coast Guard and emergency management without adding more to ICE and Border Patrol. Easy, right? But Trump won't allow it. As the DHS shutdown drags into nearly 40 days, federal workers and travelers shouldn't have to suffer from Republican inaction."
Homan told CNN's "State of the Union" on Sunday that the effort was about "helping TSA do their mission and get the American public through that airport as quick as they can while adhering to all the security guidelines and the protocols."
"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," he said. "Not trained in that? We won't do that. But there are roles we can play to release TSA officers from the non-significant roles, such as guarding an exit so they can get back to the scanning machines and move people quicker."
On Saturday, President Donald Trump said he would order ICE agents to assist with airport security if Congress did not immediately reach an agreement to fund TSA officers.
In a social media post, Trump said ICE agents could also be tasked with making immigration arrests at airports.
"If the radical left Democrats don't immediately sign an agreement to let our country, in particular, our airports, be FREE and SAFE again, I will move our brilliant and patriotic ICE agents to the airports where they will do security like no one has ever seen before," Trump wrote on Truth Social.
The proposal comes as a partial government shutdown has left roughly 50,000 TSA employees working without pay, contributing to increased absenteeism and staffing shortages at airports nationwide.
Administration officials said about 10% of TSA workers failed to report for duty on some recent days, compared to typical rates of less than 2%.
"Officers have to take matters into their own hands and not come to work," Vazquez said. "They are stressed, they are coming to me saying `what can I do?' They can't afford gas to get to work."
The usual un-planned absence call-out before the shutdown was about 20 officers per day in San Diego. Now there are about 70 to 80 officers per day who are not going to work, according to Vazquez.
"They (ICE agents) can monitor traffic of the passengers to make sure they don't get out of line or go through the stanchions," Vazquez said. "I don't understand what we need help with if it's not people that are able to screen the passengers."
Meanwhile, travelers are being warned to expected delays. The San Diego County Regional Airport Authority issued a travel advisory Sunday for passengers traveling out of the city's airport.
"Passengers traveling out of San Diego International Airport are encouraged to check their flight status before coming to SAN and plan to arrive at least two hours before their flight," airport spokeswoman Nicole Hall said Sunday, the second day the airport was experiencing delays.
"Checkpoint wait times and flight scheduling are subject to the operations of our federal and airline partners. These operations are, at times, affected by the federal government shutdown."
Hall said an influx of seasonal spring break travelers was also affecting wait times, which could take up to one hour during a "fluid situation."
"We appreciate the ongoing commitment from TSA, FAA, and our partner airlines to maintain the safety and reliability of the national transportation system during this challenging time," Hall said. "Our focus remains on ensuring a safe and efficient airport experience."
Travelers to SAN were encouraged to plan ahead and arrive two hours before domestic flights and three hours prior to international departures.
The average wait time is about 20 minutes to get through airport security at SAN when fully staffed with a maximum wait time of 30 minutes, but some wait times on Saturday were up to an "unheard of" 80 minutes, according to Vazquez, who said "Saturdays are usually chill."
Before the shutdown, about 500 to 550 officers were available to screen each day in San Diego.
