Federal immigration agents arrived at O’Hare Airport on March 23 as part of an effort by President Donald Trump’s administration to address long security lines that have frustrated travelers. The deployment is part of a broader federal initiative that also includes airports in New Jersey and New York.
The move comes amid a partial government shutdown, which has left many Transportation Security Administration (TSA) agents without pay, leading to increased absences and longer wait times during the busy spring break travel season. The addition of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents is intended to help manage non-screening support functions so TSA officers can focus on processing passengers more efficiently.
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson said O’Hare can expect around 75 ICE agents working across multiple shifts. “The agents will perform ‘non-screening support functions’ like monitoring lanes and making routine announcements, such as asking passengers to remove liquids from bags,” Johnson said. He added, “I have concerns about the deployment of federal agents at airports across the United States. We will closely monitor the deployment and use every tool we have to ensure that people, no matter their immigration status, can travel to and from Chicago safely and without harassment from the federal government.”
A U.S. official told The New York Times that ICE officers were not expected to make immigration arrests while working at airports; however, President Trump did not rule out this possibility when speaking with reporters Monday, calling airports “fertile territory” for such actions.
Despite these efforts, reports indicated that long lines persisted at O’Hare on Monday morning, with one checkpoint temporarily reaching capacity according to WBBM. By Monday afternoon, O’Hare led the country in delays and canceled flights—though these accounted for only a small percentage of total flights according to FlightAware.
Joseph Schwieterman, a DePaul University transportation professor who recently published research on O’Hare’s traffic growth, said immigration agents could handle basic tasks but may not significantly improve conditions: “It could turbo-charge the airport environment with travelers fearing immigration crackdowns on trips,” Schwieterman said. “It expands the presence of ICE at very prominent public places.”
A spokesperson for AFGE Local 777 representing TSA workers in Chicago called for an end to political gamesmanship: “[J]ust pay TSA,” they said Sunday in a statement provided to ABC7 Chicago. “Stop playing games with our workforce and the safety of the traveling public. Respect the officers who show up every day and keep this system running.” Meanwhile, ICE personnel continue receiving pay during the shutdown.
