ICE officers arrive at Dulles airport as Trump tries to cut security wait times

ICE officers arrived at Washington Dulles International Airport before 5 a.m. Tuesday as TSA workers who staff security checkpoints remain unpaid and President Donald Trump aims to reduce passenger wait times across the U.S.

Passengers arriving at the airport early Tuesday saw armed agents stationed in security areas.

ICE officers gathered in the terminal before going into the restricted area for passengers only. Later, some officers returned to the terminal and could be seen walking the corridor near the security lines.

A senior official with ICE told News4 the officers will check IDs and assist with crowd control but are not trained to use the X-ray screening machines.

TSA workers who staff the checkpoints haven’t been paid in weeks because of the partial government shutdown. Some have quit, while others have called in sick, causing staffing shortages.

Trump has asked ICE officers not to wear masks when inside airports. News4 did not see any with masks at Dulles.

Dulles was busy early Tuesday but security lines were not bad.

News4 asked passengers what they thought of ICE officers working at the airport. Opinions were mixed.

“It’s a little bit weird that ICE officers are here at the TSA airport when I think we could just pay those TSA workers to come back and do the job that they’re trained for,” one traveler said.

“I’m very happy they’re here, if it makes things better. They shouldn’t have to be here because the senators that voted against it are just wrong. People should not be having their paychecks denied,” another said.

“I have no idea why they’re here. I’m sure there’s a police force here at Dulles that takes care of things every day. I don’t think they need any help,” one woman said.

“I think if they improve the lines and security, we will be pleased,” a man said.

How long will ICE officers be deployed to airports? It’s unclear. TSA workers will not be paid until the Department of Homeland Security is fully funded.

A restraining order to stop construction of an ICE detention center in Washington County has been extended to mid-April. DHS awarded the defense contractor KVG a $641 million contract to renovate and run it.