SHREVEPORT, La. — Operations at Shreveport Regional Airport remain normal with no security delays, even as federal officials plan to deploy U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to assist at airports nationwide amid ongoing staffing shortages.
“Things are still the same here. No lines at all, thank goodness,” said Mark Crawford, Shreveport AIrport Authority business and development manager, in an email response.
The local conditions contrast with reports of long wait times at larger airports across the country, where a partial federal government shutdown has strained Transportation Security Administration staffing.
President Donald Trump said ICE agents would begin assisting at airports starting Monday to support TSA operations.
“On Monday, ICE will be going to airports to help our wonderful TSA Agents who have stayed on the job,” Trump wrote Sunday on social media, attributing staffing issues to the ongoing funding dispute in Washington.
According to federal officials, ICE personnel will not perform screening functions such as baggage checks or passenger inspections. Instead, they will assist with basic security roles, including monitoring entrances and exits.
Tom Homan, identified by the administration as overseeing the effort, told CNN that ICE agents are not trained for TSA screening duties and will be limited to support roles.
The move comes as a partial shutdown affecting the Department of Homeland Security has entered its second month. While ICE continues to receive funding, agencies including the TSA, U.S. Coast Guard, Secret Service and Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency have faced operational disruptions and staffing shortages.
Unpaid TSA workers have increasingly called in sick, contributing to extended wait times at major airports, with some passengers reporting delays of up to four hours.
The funding impasse stems from disagreements in the U.S. Senate over immigration enforcement policies. Democratic lawmakers have pushed for measures requiring ICE agents to wear body cameras and visible identification, as well as limiting enforcement activities in locations such as schools and hospitals and expanding de-escalation training.
The administration has also indicated that ICE agents may enforce immigration laws at airports, including making arrests of individuals in the country illegally.
Separately, Elon Musk said he would offer to cover TSA employee salaries during the funding lapse in an effort to reduce disruptions, though no formal agreement has been announced.
Despite the national challenges, smaller regional airports such as Shreveport have not yet experienced the same level of disruption, according to local officials.
The Center Square contributed to this report.