Is ICE getting paid? Officers report to airports amid DHS shutdown
USA TODAY
ICE agents began working as security in airports this week. Here's what to know about the ongoing shutdown is impacting travel.
President Donald Trump ordered Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents into airports nationwide on Monday, March 23, as Transportation Security Administration officers − still unpaid during a partial shutdown − remain on the front lines of airport security.
Photos and videos of ICE agents at airports quickly spread across social media, prompting criticism that immigration officers are continuing to receive pay while TSA officers have gone without a full paycheck since late February.
TSA employees have already missed one paycheck since the shutdown began Feb. 14 and are set to miss another on March 27. ICE agents, by contrast, continue to receive regular pay because they are classified as essential personnel within the Department of Homeland Security.
More: Deal to end DHS shutdown may be within reach, key senators say
Republican lawmakers last year passed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which funds immigration enforcement through 2029. The legislation provides $170 billion for ICE, more than double DHS's annual discretionary budget, allowing the agency to continue paying its officers during the shutdown.
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