U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents were deployed to Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) on Monday, March 23, 2026, NBC10 confirmed.

TSA wait times at PHL can be found here or by using the MyTSA app.

NBC News confirmed that PHL was one of 13 airports across the country where ICE agents were sent. The other airports include the following:

Chicago-O’Hare International Airport

Cleveland Hopkins International Airport

Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport

Houston’s William P. Hobby Airport

John F. Kennedy International Airport (New York)

LaGuardia Airport (New York)

Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport

Luis Munoz Marin International Airport (San Juan, Puerto Rico)

Newark Liberty International Airport

Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport

Pittsburgh International Airport

Southwest Florida International Airport (Fort Myers, Florida)

President Donald Trump had announced over the weekend that he’d send ICE agents to airports as soon as Monday to help ease long lines caused by a shortage in TSA employees amid the partial government shutdown that is impacting the Department of Homeland Security.

The pause in pay for TSA workers has caused staffing shortages and hourslong lines for passengers across the country, including at PHL.

According to NBC News, 21.5% of TSA workers who were scheduled to work at PHL on Saturday, March 21, called out as they struggle to keep up with their bills.

On Sunday, NBC10 was at the airport to see how things were going. Three security checkpoints remained closed as a result of the shutdown, but lines were mostly smooth sailing, with only long lines at peak travel hours.

With TSA agents calling out amid the partial government shutdown, the Trump administration is saying they will send ICE agents to airports across the country. NBC10’s Siobhan McGirl has the story. 

NBC10 reached out to PHL to learn more about what things could look like on Monday. They referred us to the TSA and DHS, who provided us with this statement:

“Because of the Democrat shutdown, President Trump is using every tool available to help American travelers who are facing hours long lines at airports across the country—especially during this spring break and holiday season that is very important for many American families. This pointless, reckless shutdown of our homeland security workforce has caused more than 400 TSA officers to quit and thousands to call out from work because they are not able to afford gas, childcare, food, or rent. While the Democrats continue to put the safety, dependability, and ease of our air travel at risk, President Trump is taking action to deploy hundreds of ICE officers, that are currently funded by Congress, to airports being adversely impacted. This will help bolster TSA efforts to keep our skies safe and minimize air travel disruptions.” 

However, travelers at PHL on Sunday shared with NBC10 mixed reactions:

“Not sound like the right set of people to handle people traveling,” one passenger said.

“Bad plan,” another passenger told NBC10.

“I guess we will see how it plays out,” another passenger said. “Skeptical maybe a little bit. But if it helps, that’s great. We’ll see.”

“If it helps, that’s okay, yeah,” another passenger told NBC10.

“If they are coming in to do a good job, not to harass people, and cause apprehension and problems, I see no problem,” another passenger said.

New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill gave her opinion as well, saying in a statement, “”Every time Donald Trump gets involved, he creates chaos for the American people. This latest proposal is no different. Trump’s ICE has a track record of making communities less safe, and sending untrained ICE agents to staff our airports is not an acceptable solution. Instead, it’s time for Donald Trump and Washington Republicans to do their jobs and fund TSA.”