ICE agents appear at airports as TSA shortages worsen
Travelers face long TSA lines as ICE agents deploy to airports during the partial government shutdown.
Following a chaotic start to the week at airports across country, wait times for TSA security lines do seem to be a bit shorter by midweek. But the troubles are far from over.
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport had some of the longest lines in the country Monday, with passengers waiting upward of 5 hours in line before ever reaching the security checkpoint. The line got shorter as the day went on, but airport officials still told travelers to plan for at least a four hour wait, and they stopped displaying the wait times within the terminal.
Monday also marked the first day ICE officers were deployed in select major airports, and while their presence was felt by passengers as they entered the terminal in Atlanta and eventually went through security, their role was unclear. During time spent at the airport, USA TODAY did not observe any officers interacting with passengers or aiding airport staff in managing the lines or traffic. ICE officers at other airports, however, have been observed handing out water and providing directions for travelers.
Georgia Republicans, like U.S. House candidate Clay Fuller who is running to take Marjorie Taylor Greene’s open seat, were quick to claim the TSA issues had been “fixed,” but videos taken inside the airport on Wednesday don’t show the same outcome.
Here’s what to know if you’re traveling through the Atlanta airport this week.
Is the TSA line ‘fixed’? It depends
On Tuesday morning, Fuller posted a picture on X claiming “thanks to the leadership of President Donald Trump and the service of our great ICE agents in our airports, the line issues caused by Democrats have been fixed!”
The photo showed the inside of Hartsfield-Jackson’s security area, but the date and time the photo was taken was not included in the post.
Ryan Young, a reporter with CNN, said during a broadcast that it was “unbelievable” how much shorter the lines had become on Tuesday morning, less than 24 hours after ICE officers arrived.
However, it seems to largely depend on what time you are trying to get through security.
In a video shared by local social media account “ATLSCOOP,” lines just for TSA PreCheck passengers were out the door of the south terminal at 5:50 a.m. on Wednesday.
By 8 a.m. the same account posted a photo showing a much shorter line on the international side of the terminal.
It’s all about timing, Delta employee says
A Delta employee who goes by “Money Man Dan” on Tiktok posts regular updates throughout the day on his account, showing the security lines and telling passengers to “pack your patience.”
At 6:30 a.m. on Wednesday, he said the line was stretching into the baggage claim area and Sky Priority and Clear lines were closed. At 8:45 a.m., he said the lines had gone down significantly and the fast-tracked lines were open.
By 10:30 a.m., the wait times were even shorter. In his video, the employee called the line “easy” and not worse than a typical Wednesday at the world’s second busiest airport. The wait, he said, wasn’t more than 15 or 20 minutes. At 1:20 p.m. the lines were extended once again, the employee said.
“Two to three hours will be more than enough time to get you through,” he said.
This trend suggests if you have an early afternoon flight, it may be worth waiting until the morning rush gets through TSA before trying yourself, but not waiting too long for the lines to build up again.
Security lines are also normally shorter during the middle of the week, as Fridays, Mondays and the weekend see more travelers than midweek days. If you are planning to fly Friday through Monday this week, you may still need to allow yourself multiple hours to get through security.
Are ICE officers still at the Atlanta airport?
Yes, ICE officers are still working at the Atlanta airport. They are present in the check-in areas, outside the terminal, near the TSA checkpoint and in the food court area.
On Monday, it was unclear how they were assisting the TSA officers in their jobs. However, they are still present in and around the airport. They do not have a presence past the TSA checkpoint.
Irene Wright is the Atlanta Connect reporter with USA Today’s Deep South Connect team. Find her on X @IreneEWright or email her at ismith@usatodayco.com.
