ICE Agents To Be Deployed At Pittsburgh Airport

PITTSBURGH, PA — Immigration and Custom Enforcement agents are expected to arrive at Pittsburgh International Airport on Monday to begin assisting with security.

A spokesperson for the Allegheny County Airport Authority confirmed the move. It's unclear when the ICE personnel will be on the scene or what specific role they will play.

President Donald Trump said over the weekend in a social media post that ICE would be going to airports to assist Transportation Security Administration agents this week.

Thousands of TSA agents have been working without pay for weeks amid a partial government shutdown. Many have called out of work or quit, adding to passengers’ wait times at security gates.

Democrats have been opposing funding for the Department of Homeland Security unless it also comes with several conditions that regulate ICE, including a ban on face masks and requiring federal officers to get warrants before entering homes.

The situation has not seemed to have impacted security lines at the Pittsburgh airport. Shortly before noon on Monday, the average wait time at the standard security checkpoint was five minutes, according to the airport website.

County Executive Sara Innamorato offered a stinging rebuke of ICE's presence at the airport.

“Just like Allegheny County does not need ICE agents patrolling our neighborhoods, we don’t need ICE at the airport where TSA lines have remained short and manageable," she said in a statment.

"Sending ICE into our public spaces and communities is never about safety and security threats and has led to racial profiling and harassment of our neighbors. Local ICE agents should skip the Pittsburgh International Airport, which is not requesting help."