ICE Agents Deployed to Airports, Impact on Wait Times Unclear

0:00It's March 23rd. You're listening to Dallas News today, AI-powered local news. I'm Corey with the story. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents showed up at Houston's George Bush Intercontinental Airport on Monday morning. This follows the Trump administration's plan to deploy them to major airports facing transportation security administration staffing shortages. The move aims to ease long lines by having ice-handle basic tasks like watching exit lanes and verifying passenger IDs. The deployment ties into a funding standoff for the Department of Homeland Security. Funding lapsed on February 14th after Democrats blocked it, demanding reforms to ice and customs in border protection operations. Those changes stemmed from recent deaths involving agents in Minneapolis and include requirements for warrants before home entries plus clear agent, identification. Democrats continue pushing for agents to ditch masks and wear visible badges during operations. President Trump countered on Monday by directing ice not to cover their faces while working

1:02at airports, saying it's only needed for dealing with. Serious offenders. Meanwhile, former ice acting director Tom Homan, clarified agents won't handle specialized screening like X-rays. Details remain unclear on how many agents are going, where or how soon they'll make a difference on wait times. Democrats also noted a few federal agents near lines at Atlanta's Hartz Field Jackson International Airport. As plans finalize, this could shift quickly depending on the budget talks, with more airports likely to see support soon.