No ICE agents working at Detroit Metro Airport yet as travelers see quick TSA security lines
While Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents have been deployed to more than a dozen airports across the country Monday to support Transportation Security Administration officers during this partial government shutdown, no agents have been spotted at Detroit Metro Airport.
The Trump administration says ICE agents will assist the TSA, which has experienced a staffing shortage since the partial government shutdown began in mid-February.
TSA officers have been without pay since mid-February, and on Saturday, 11.5% of TSA staff nationwide called out.
White House border czar Tom Homan confirmed that ICE agents have been assigned to 14 airports, including Chicago-O'Hare International Airport, LaGuardia Airport, Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and Philadelphia International Airport, among others. The agents are expected to assist TSA staff working at airports that are experiencing long security lines.
While several airports have experienced hours-long security line waits, TSA wait times have remained consistent at Detroit Metro Airport during the partial shutdown, averaging around 5 minutes for both the Evans and McNamara terminals on Monday afternoon.
"I like it better not crowded," said Detroit Metro Airport traveler Kennedy Duncan. "I was scared because on TikTok I've seen it being really crowded, but it was a breeze seeing it's not, so I'm quite happy."
CBS News Detroit caught up with the Lake family Monday morning before their trip to Australia. Neither of the Lakes said they were worried about their destination airport and were excited for the easy check-in and security process at Detroit Metro Airport.
"Really great. We are on a good start. We have a long way to go. We are going to Australia, so this is just the first leg," said Donna Lake.
Greg Simpkins, president of the American Federation of Government Employees Local 778, which represents TSA workers at Detroit Metro Airport, says officers are still working hard.
"They took an oath to make sure that the traveling public get to where they need to get to safely, and to be a pawn in this game of politics is so undeserving," said Simpkins.
Meanwhile, the nonprofit group Downriver for Veterans is working to support DTW's TSA staff. The organization has gathered Easter baskets for children of federal workers on standby and is working out how to get those workers anything else they may need.