Despite President Trump’s pledge to send Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers to airports amid a Department of Homeland Security shutdown, an official at Boston Logan International Airport said Sunday ICE agents have yet to be deployed to Logan, while Transportation Security Administration agents have continued to work without pay.
Mike Gayzagian, the president of a union representing TSA officers across New England, said the security line length and wait times in Logan have remained stable amid the partial government shutdown, which began Feb. 14.
But Gayzagian cautioned that if the shutdown continues, and Logan’s “staffing situation deteriorates,” the need for ICE officers to perform TSA functions “may have to be reevaluated,“
With videos of long lines at security checkpoints in airports across the country going viral on social media, passengers have been arriving to Logan hours earlier than usual, only to get through without much delay.
Gayzagian said he attributes the stable wait times, unlike other major airports, to the “very dedicated” TSA officers at Logan.
“All of our officers, very dedicated officers, have been coming in every day,” Gayzagian said. “What we are experiencing, however, is people having to quit because they’re basically running out of money.”
Of the 1,000 TSA agents at Logan, 25 have quit since last week, Gayzagian said.
Following a Truth Social post by President Donald Trump last week, White House border czar Tom Homan said Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents would assist TSA at airports to manage the long lines starting Monday.
The government went into a partial government shutdown Feb. 14 after Congress failed to reach a deal on legislation to fund the DHS, leading to a pause in funding to TSA and thousands more federal law enforcement officers.
Acting Assistant Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security Lauren Bis wrote in a statement to The Daily Free Press that Democrats have “put the safety, dependability, and ease of our air travel at risk.”
“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,” Bis wrote.
ICE agents have not taken TSA roles in Logan, Boston.com reported Monday. Gayzagian said Sunday he has “not heard anything official” from TSA on whether ICE would come to airports in New England.
The Boston Globe reported sightings of DHS officers on Monday at Logan that were reportedly part of a “Visible Intermodal Prevention and Response” operation, which has been ongoing at airports for years.
On Monday, ICE officials were seen at major airports including New York’s LaGuardia Airport and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, the New York Times reported.
Gayzagian’s union has been working with local businesses and nonprofits to assist officers working without pay, Gayzagian said. The Massachusetts Port Authority, which owns and operates Logan, has also distributed gas cards to TSA agents, he said.
Gayzagian said his team is working closely with senators and representatives throughout New England to “make a deal” and fund TSA.
