During the DHS shutdown, DHS deployed ICE agents to airports to fill gaps caused by TSA staffing shortages.

Now, even as TSA officers are expected to return, Border Czar Tom Homan has said ICE may remain at airports depending on staffing levels.

Airports are not immigration enforcement zones — they are transportation hubs meant to serve the public safely and efficiently.

Temporary emergency measures should not become permanent policy.

Once TSA staffing is restored, there is no justification for continuing an expanded ICE presence in airports. Prolonging it raises serious concerns about mission creep, public trust, and the proper role of federal agencies.

We call on:

Border Czar Tom Homan
Department of Homeland Security (DHS)
Transportation Security Administration (TSA)
to remove ICE agents from airports once normal TSA operations resume and ensure that emergency measures do not become permanent enforcement expansions.

Sign this petition to say: end ICE’s airport presence when the shutdown ends.

Photo: Adam Gray / Reuters