In brief
Federal immigration officers made an unusual appearance at airport security checkpoints in Atlanta as President Trump announced their deployment to support Transportation Security Administration agents amid lengthy security lines caused by the government shutdown. This marks a notable shift in roles at international airports, where such federal agents typically do not assist with TSA duties.
ATLANTA (AP) — Federal immigration officers have been seen at an airport in Atlanta after President Donald Trump said he’d deploy agents to supplement the Transportation Security Administration during a government shutdown that has caused long lines at security checkpoints across the country.
On Monday morning, a handful of federal agents were seen by The Associated Press near busy lines at Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport.
Federal agents are a routine presence at international airports, where Customs and Border Protection officers screen arriving travelers and Homeland Security Investigations agents handle criminal cases tied to smuggling, trafficking, and fraud.
What’s unusual in the current moment is their visibility at TSA security checkpoints, a role typically handled by transportation security officers rather than federal investigators.
Trump said Sunday he would order federal immigration agents to airports to help with security.
