Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents were deployed to Pittsburgh International Airport on Monday, airport spokesperson Bob Kerlik confirmed to Channel 11.
Kerlik said agents trained at the airport terminal on Monday morning are expected to assist the Transportation Security Administration starting Tuesday.
Over the weekend, President Donald Trump said Federal immigration officers could start helping with airport security if a bill is not agreed on to fund the Department of Homeland Security
Hundreds of thousands of homeland security workers, including from the TSA, U.S. Secret Service and Coast Guard, have worked without pay since Congress failed to renew DHS funding last month, the Associated Press reported.
“I look forward to moving ICE in on Monday, and have already told them to, ‘GET READY.’ NO MORE WAITING, NO MORE GAMES!” Trump wrote on social media.
Channel 11 reached out to the Allegheny County Airport Authority on Sunday regarding the president’s statements. Spokesperson Bob Kerlik initially said the authority was aware of Trump’s announcement, but exact plans had not yet been announced.
People flying out of Pittsburgh International Airport had mixed reactions when they heard that ICE agents were training in the landside terminal on Monday morning.
“I’m kind of nervous, hearing that ICE is here,” said Krishna Gautam. “Overall, I think it’s too much. You need to give a little bit of peace of mind to people.”
“I’m indifferent. We are from Phoenix, so obviously, a lot of immigration going on there,” said Donnie Williams.
The latest numbers from NBC News show nearly ¼ of TSA agents from Pittsburgh International Airport called off on Sunday. But flyers said they didn’t notice, compared to the long lines they saw in the airports they flew out of.
“Oh gosh, no. We’ve been checking the wait times and it’s like three minutes,” said Andrea Clack.
Allegheny County Executive Sara Innamorato released a statement:
“Just like Allegheny County does not need ICE agents patrolling our neighborhoods, we don’t need ICE at the airport where TSA lines have remained short and manageable. Sending ICE into our public spaces and communities is never about safety and security threats and has led to racial profiling and harassment of our neighbors. Local ICE agents should skip the Pittsburgh International Airport, which is not requesting help. Instead, ICE should investigate why a Haitian refugee in their custody died hours after she was released in Pittsburgh a few weeks ago, and ensure tragedies like that don’t happen in Allegheny County again.”
The DHS acting assistant secretary released a statement:
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.
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