Photo: EvgeniyShkolenko / iStock / Getty Images
Albany International Airport is not currently scheduled to have U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents onsite, despite President Donald Trump’s recent announcement that ICE officers will begin assisting at select U.S. airports starting Monday (March 23). The move comes as part of a response to the ongoing partial government shutdown, which has left Transportation Security Administration (TSA) workers unpaid and contributed to long airport wait times nationwide.
According to reports, President Donald Trump directed ICE agents to help relieve TSA officers from less critical duties, such as guarding exit lanes and checking passenger identifications, to allow more TSA staff to focus on security screening. However, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials have not publicly disclosed which airports will receive ICE deployments, citing security reasons. PBS reports that hundreds of ICE agents will be sent to major airports experiencing long lines, but Albany International is not on the current list.
White House border czar Tom Homan, who is leading the new airport security effort, said Sunday (March 22) that details about the number of ICE agents and their exact roles are still being finalized. Homan explained that ICE agents could be assigned to monitor exits or check IDs, but would not be conducting security screenings, as they are not trained for that specific work. He stated, "We're going to be a force multiplier," while acknowledging that the plan is still evolving. Live 5 News also confirms that ICE agents’ assignments are being finalized and will be coordinated with TSA leadership.
Some lawmakers and union leaders have raised concerns about deploying ICE agents in airports. Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska said, "Do you really want to have even additional tensions on top of what we are already facing?" The president of the American Federation of Government Employees, Everett Kelley, argued that ICE agents are not trained in aviation security and that TSA staff should be paid, not replaced.
The move is part of a broader effort by President Donald Trump to pressure Congress to resolve the funding impasse over DHS. He warned that ICE would be deployed if lawmakers did not act to end the shutdown. Negotiations in Congress are ongoing, with no immediate resolution in sight.
For now, travelers at Albany International Airport will not see ICE agents at security checkpoints, but the situation could change as federal officials continue to adjust plans in response to airport staffing challenges nationwide. Long lines and delays remain a problem at several major airports as the shutdown continues.