Hundreds of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents have been deployed to airports across the country, including Philadelphia International Airport. President Trump sent out officers to monitor long lines and crowd control as the partial government shutdown hits day forty-one.
Here in Philadelphia International Airport, ICE agents were spotted this week. Temple Update reporter Sujan Upreti talked to TSA workers and travelers on how ICE presence is impacting them.
Steve Papelian is one protestor who is speaking out against ICE officers’ presence in the Philly airport.
“If you look at them, they’re all just standing around. There is no job for them to do here. “I think they are here for intimidation.”
However, not every traveler agrees with him. Britney Lopez is from New Jersey and is traveling to Florida with her kids for a vacation.
“I think there are good impacts and bad, good with keeping the flow of everyone moving along.”
“I don’t necessarily feel intimidated, but I also don’t see much of a need for them. They seem to be standing around more than actually actively working,” said Dan McGrath, a local traveler.
It’s not just here; ICE agents are active in thirteen other international airports, and it’s sparking reactions across the country. The Department of Homeland Security sent a statement to Temple Update, and they said, “This will help bolster TSA efforts to keep our skies safe and minimize air travel disruptions,” and also stated they will not be confirming the location of ICE officers for security reasons.
Lashanda Palmer is a TSA worker and president of the Philadelphia and Wilmington airport workers’ union. She says deploying ICE agents to airports is impacting TSA workers and their families.
“I’m not being paid, or my agency isn’t being paid because there’s one agency that is now standing side by side with us, and they’re getting paid, and they get paid well,” said Palmer.
Palmer says paying bills and covering basic expenses haven’t been easy. Overdrawn accounts, no gas coming to work, with no gas showing, and documentation of an empty gas tank to my leadership that I have no gas. bills need to be paid,” said Palmer.
Thousands of TSA workers have been calling out, and more than 450 agents have quit their jobs.
At Philadelphia International Airport, twenty-four percent of TSA workers called out, and there’s no sign of slowing down. Some are worried that child support payments won’t go through.
“We have a lot of employees who pay child support and are worried that their child support isn’t coming out. Not only can they lose their job, but they can possibly go to jail too,” said Palmer.
Earlier this week, more than two hundred TSA workers in the Philly airport called out. Palmer says, she wants the government to make a quick decision and come up with a solution before more TSA agents quit their jobs.
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