{"id":202696,"date":"2026-03-23T17:32:09","date_gmt":"2026-03-23T17:32:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/202696\/"},"modified":"2026-03-23T17:32:09","modified_gmt":"2026-03-23T17:32:09","slug":"are-ice-agents-being-deployed-to-orlando-international-airport","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/202696\/","title":{"rendered":"Are ICE agents being deployed to Orlando International Airport?"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"Credit: Shutterstock<\/p>\n

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers are being deployed to airports across the country Monday to fill TSA officer shortages, following an announcement<\/a> made by U.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday.<\/p>\n

As of Monday afternoon, however, it appears this won\u2019t include Orlando International Airport, one of the nation\u2019s busiest airports<\/a> due to its close proximity to major tourist attractions like Disney World.<\/p>\n

The Greater Orlando Aviation Authority, a government entity that oversees Orlando airport operations, told Orlando Weekly in an emailed statement early Monday afternoon, \u201cAt this time, Orlando International Airport (MCO) has not been notified\u00a0that it will be one of the airports staffed with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers. If the situation changes, we will be sure to update you with more information.\u201d<\/p>\n

MCO (the identifier code for Orlando International Airport) was not on a list of 13 U.S. airports<\/a> expected to see the arrival of ICE agents on Monday, as reported by CNN, which obtained information from a source \u201cwith knowledge of the plans.\u201d The only Florida-based airport on that list is Southwest Florida International Airport in Fort Myers.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe list is subject to change and different plans have been made for how to utilize the agents at each airport,\u201d according to CNN\u2019s source.<\/p>\n

The idea of federal immigration officers expanding their presence in U.S. airports has raised concerns due to the heightened tension around ICE actions, and the (understandable) fear and anxiety this could generate among non-white passengers.<\/p>\n

After all, federal ICE agents \u2014 reportedly receiving substandard training<\/a> under the Trump administration \u2014 have been given the go-ahead to racially profile<\/a> those they suspect may be in the country illegally. Agents have also arrested and detained<\/a> U.S. citizens and killed multiple people<\/a> caught in the crosshairs of Trump\u2019s pledge to conduct the \u201clargest deportation operation in American history<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n

The deployment announcement from the White House over the weekend comes in response to TSA staffing shortages at various airports that are reportedly causing longer wait times for passengers during the security screening process. TSA officers have been forced by the federal government to work without pay for about a month, due to a lapse in funding for parts of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, including TSA, the U.S. Coast Guard and the Federal Emergency Management Agency.<\/p>\n

Notably, ICE \u2014 an agency that also falls under DHS \u2014 is fully funded, thanks to billions of dollars secured for the agency under Trump\u2019s \u201cOne Big Beautiful Bill\u201d signed into law last year. Democrats in Congress have demanded Republicans agree to certain reforms for ICE as part of their funding agreement for DHS.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Trump reportedly refused<\/a> a funding proposal privately pitched by Republican John Thune Sunday that had garnered some bipartisan support, despite concessions on some of Democrats\u2019 demands for ICE reforms. The proposal would have deferred funding for ICE, but would have provided funding for TSA to ensure officers are paid.<\/p>\n

Everett Kelley, the president of the labor union that represents TSA officers, slammed the White House\u2019s announcement to deploy ICE officers to airports Sunday, arguing that Congress needs to \u201cstop playing politics and do their jobs.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMore than 50,000 TSA employees have worked without pay for over five weeks. Hundreds have quit. And Washington\u2019s answer isn\u2019t to pay them. It\u2019s to send ICE agents to do their jobs,\u201d Kelley of the American Federation of Government Employees said in a statement. \u201cOur members at TSA have been showing up every day, without a paycheck, because they believe in the mission of keeping the flying public safe. They deserve to be paid, not replaced by untrained, armed agents who have shown how dangerous they can be.\u201d<\/p>\n

Trump\u2019s so-called border czar Tom Homan told<\/a> NBC News on Sunday that TSA officers will not be filling staffing roles in the TSA screening process, but that they will instead be put to work providing security at airport entrances and exits. \u201cWe\u2019re simply there to help TSA do their job in areas that don\u2019t need their specialized expertise, such as screening through the X-ray machine. Not trained in that? We won\u2019t do that,\u201d Homan told<\/a> CNN\u2019s Dana Bash.<\/p>\n

The partial government shutdown, exclusively affecting parts of DHS, began Feb. 14. Thousands of federal employees across the country are affected. The Greater Orlando Aviation Authority, governed by seven board members, has been organizing food drives<\/a> for affected TSA officers at MCO and the Orlando Executive Airport to help them get by for the duration of the shutdown. <\/p>\n

Meanwhile, the Orlando Sanford International Airport is one of just 20 in the nation<\/a> participating in TSA\u2019s Screening Partnership Program<\/a>. These airports staff private security officers (that is, non-unionized, nongovernmental employees) and thus aren\u2019t affected by TSA disruptions \u2014 a return to pre-9\/11 practice that was advocated in the Heritage Foundation\u2019s Project 2025<\/a> plan.<\/p>\n

This ongoing DHS shutdown comes just months after TSA officers similarly experienced stalled payment during the U.S.\u2019s longest government shutdown in history, affecting broader swaths of the federal government, last year.<\/p>\n

\u201cTSA PreCheck and Global Entry are both active and the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority does not anticipate major disruptions to operations,\u201d the GOAA states in an alert<\/a> posted to MCO\u2019s website on the DHS shutdown. \u201cWe remain committed to the best in traveler safety and security and are working closely with our federal partners, who are critical to air travel.\u201d<\/p>\n

Additional reporting by Jessica Bryce Young.<\/p>\n

Subscribe to Orlando Weekly newsletters.<\/a><\/p>\n

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