Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents have been deployed to airports across the nation but, for now, there are none at San Diego’s airport.
President Trump sent ICE agents on Monday to assist the Transportation Security Administration, which has been affected by a partial government shutdown. Agents were seen in Atlanta, New Orleans, Cleveland, Pittsburgh and others. CNN and NBC both said they had obtained lists of airports the agency was going to but there were no California airports listed.
Nicole Hall, spokesperson for the San Diego International Airport, said as of Monday morning, ICE agents had not been deployed here, and said the airport had no information about ICE. She noted the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees ICE and the TSA, is a federal agency that operates independently and may not inform the airport ahead of time if ICE officers are coming.
DHS did not respond to specific inquiries sent by The San Diego Union-Tribune about what airports ICE would be at and gave a general statement blaming Democrats for the situation.
“For operational security reasons, we are not going to confirm the locations of our officers,” Acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis emailed in a statement. “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.”
Even without ICE, San Diego flyers were dealing with a perfect storm of delay issues. Various weather events and major delays at New York’s LaGuardia Airport were rippling throughout the nation. Two pilots were killed Sunday night at LaGuardia when an Air Canada jet crashed into a fire truck. Additionally, the airport said there was an increase in passenger traffic because of spring break.
More than 90 flights had been delayed Monday morning, said Flight Aware, and eight flights had been canceled. Yet Hall said that was not any more than usual. By late afternoon, 110 flights had been delayed.
The partial shutdown started five weeks ago as Democrats and some Republicans declined to fund Homeland Security’s budget. Some lawmakers have argued against what they say is an aggressive approach to immigration enforcement.
Lack of pay has resulted in TSA agents calling in sick or being absent for other reasons, resulting in long security lines across the country. San Diego International Airport has also seen wait times increase, with videos of lines flooding social media.
Administration officials said about 10% of TSA workers failed to report for duty on some recent days, compared to typical rates of less than 2%.
Aaron Vazquez, a TSA lead transportation security officer at the San Diego airport and assistant airport steward for the American Federation of Government Employees Local 1260 in San Diego, told City News Service that about 70 to 80 officers per day are not going to work in San Diego, up from around 20 before the shutdown.
Jack Friskel, a 24-year-old salesperson from Kansas City, stood near the end of a TSA line Monday morning at Terminal 1. He had 1 hour and 15 minutes to catch his flight on Southwest.
Friskel, a Kansas Jayhawks fan who flew to San Diego to attend the first two rounds of the NCAA men’s basketball tournament, said the wait was nerve-racking.
“You don’t expect to see such long lines when you show up at the airport to catch your flight,” he said. “But it is what it is.”
Hall said it was difficult to provide an estimate of how long wait times were because they were varying quite a bit. However, the airport is encouraging passengers to arrive at least 2 1/2 hours before their flights. TSA agents at Terminal 1 were warning flyers Monday around 11 a.m. that security line waits could take as long as two hours to get to their gates, and the TSA PreCheck line was closed.
Eric Shoeppler of Mission Valley arrived with his wife Monday morning from a trip to Florida and said he was stunned to see the lines at Terminal 1.
He was flying to Las Vegas on Thursday and said he would arrive three hours early to make sure he gets on his flight.
“I’m angry the government can’t get the issue solved,” he said. “And a bit nervous about my next flight. Traveling is already stressful enough.”
The scene at Terminal 2, where all international flights and some domestic flights depart, was much different. There were no long lines, and TSA PreCheck was open, with passengers moving through smoothly.
By 12:30 p.m., the line volume had eased at Terminal 1, and the TSA PreCheck line was reopened.
Meanwhile, several local officials spoke out Monday against the Trump administration’s deployment of ICE at airports.
San Diego City Councilmember and Airport Authority Board member Marni von Wilpert opposed the use of ICE agents in a statement, calling the agency’s conduct aggressive and abusive.
“ICE has already shown it refuses to follow the law and respect our communities,” von Wilpert said. “So, I’m deeply concerned about what this deployment will mean for San Diego travelers and the thousands of workers at San Diego International Airport.”
Vasquez, the TSA union member, said he was not pleased with the idea of ICE officers interfering with his agency’s work.
“I have no idea how they can contribute at an airport, unless it was for intimidation purposes,” he said.
For travel advisories, travelers can check the San Diego Airport’s website or contact their airline.
