Security lines snake through South Florida airports as partial government shutdown continues
Air travelers at airports across the U.S., including here in South Florida, are facing long security lines as the partial government shutdown remains unresolved, and this comes as the Trump administration announced that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents would help with security screenings.
Long lines greeted passengers at Miami International Airport (MIA) early Monday morning, with some of them stretching the equivalent of a city block snaking through the airport.
"I'm a little overwhelmed," Holly Schmidt said. "We have a team going to Cuba, and we don't know if we're going to make it."
Tens of thousands of Transportation Security Administration (TSA) agents aren't getting paid amid the shutdown, with many of them calling out while hundreds of others quit.
President Donald Trump announced that ICE agents would be stationed at hotspot airports across the U.S. to help with the shortages.
"Our ignorant government. There is a solution," a woman named Brenda said. "They just have to agree to disagree."
She said that lines in Miami were just as bad as those in Atlanta.
"When we left Atlanta, the wheelchair line was longer than anything else," she said.
MIA, FLL officials say airports have not been contacted about ICE agents being assigned
Early Monday morning, officials with Miami International Airport told CBS News Miami that the facility had not been contacted by ICE or TSA about agents being assigned there.
A few hours later, officials with Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport also said they have not been contacted.
"The Broward County Aviation Department, operator of Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL), has not been notified by the (Department of Homeland Security) that our facility is among the list of airports where ICE agents will be deployed at this time," an airport spokesperson told CBS News Miami in a statement.
The TSA union slammed the idea, saying "TSA officers deserve to be paid, not replaced by untrained, armed agents who have shown how dangerous they can be."
Lauren Biss, the Acting Director of the Department of Homeland Security, released a statement about the situation on Monday afternoon:
"For operational security reasons, we are not going to confirm the locations of our officers. Because of the Democrat shutdown, President Trump is using every tool available to help American travelers who are facing hours long lines at airports across the country – especially during this spring break and holiday season that is very important for many American families.
"This pointless, reckless shutdown of our homeland security workforce has caused more than 400 TSA officers to quit and thousands to call out from work because they are not able to afford gas, childcare, food, or rent. While the Democrats continue to put the safety, dependability, and ease of our air travel at risk, President Trump is taking action to deploy hundreds of ICE officers, that are currently funded by Congress, to airports being adversely impacted.
"This will help bolster TSA efforts to keep our skies safe and minimize air travel disruptions."
Passengers with flights at South Florida airports, like MIA or Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, are urged to get to the airport early to ensure there's enough time to get through the long security lines.