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Federal immigration officials were seen at several US airports on Monday after the Trump administration said it would send ICE agents to ease security lines as the government temporarily shuts down.
The suspension, which began on February 14, has led to long lines at airport security checkpoints, which are usually manned by agents of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). Since the shutdown, hundreds of thousands of agents under the Department of Homeland Security, including the TSA, have worked without pay since Congress failed to provide new funding.
The Democrats are ordering updates to the immigration agency after reports of harassment by agents, including the killing of two US citizens earlier this year.
In recent days, travelers have recorded queues with waiting times estimated at several hours. Trump border czar Tom Homan he told CNN for ICE agents to be sent from Monday to the airport is the longest wait time. Homan said the details of the plan are still being negotiated.
Opponents say having ICE agents at airports would increase the tension and travelers.
Authorities were seen arresting one person at San Francisco International Airport on Sunday night, according to eyewitnesses. Another movie posted on TikTok shows unidentified people, dressed in plain clothes refusing to identify themselves as they handcuff someone, including a child, through the security line at the terminal gate. Video was posted to Reddit showing the helper arresting the person on the other side. TechCrunch has linked to this image.
An ICE spokeswoman did not return a request for comment on the arrest.
According to the Associated Press, ICE agents have also been spotted at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. The Guardian ICE reports were seen at airports in Newark, New Orleans, and John F. Kennedy of New York. CNN reports that Chicago, Cleveland, Houston, Phoenix, and San Juan are among the airports where ICE has been dispatched.
ICE is known to use different types tools to identify and target individualsincluding facial recognition software and phone unlocking tools to hack people’s devices. ICE agents also use location information, obtained from people’s mobile apps and games, to track people’s whereabouts.
