WASHINGTON, March 23 (Reuters) – U.S. immigration agents began deploying at some U.S. airports on Monday to aid security screening as staffing absences by unpaid airport security officers cause massive delays.
The Homeland Security Department confirmed it had begun deploying hundreds of ICE agents to assist in airport security at airports facing significant staffing issues.
ICE and Homeland Security Investigations officers were being deployed to 14 airports, officials told Reuters, including Atlanta, JFK in New York, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Phoenix and Fort Myers. Separately, Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson — the busiest U.S. airport — told passengers to arrive at least four hours early on Monday for flights.
(Reporting by David Shepardson and Ted Hesson; Editing by Toby Chopra)
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