As federal immigration agents deployed to airports across the nation Monday to help with security during a partial government shutdown, there were no apparent signs of Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers at Salt Lake City International Airport.
Lines appeared normal while only uniformed Transportation Security Administration agents staffed screening areas and exits.
Airport spokesperson Nancy Volmer, meanwhile, said she wasn’t aware of any ICE agents helping TSA officers in Utah’s capital. She deferred to TSA’s regional spokesperson for additional information, but the agency did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The Salt Lake City airport has remained unscathed by long wait times at security, Volmer said. TSA workers are still going unpaid since Congress failed to renew funding to the Department of Homeland Security last month amid a political fight over ICE practices.
The partial government shutdown has led to hourslong TSA lines at airports throughout the country — including at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, where lines were over two hours long on Sunday.
President Donald Trump, who has blamed Democrats for the staffing shortages, announced on Saturday that ICE agents would help with airport security screenings starting Monday. Acting Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security Lauren Bis said in a statement that ICE officers who are currently funded by Congress will help minimize travel disruptions.
Read Jordan Miller's full story at sltrib.com.
This article is published through the Utah News Collaborative, a partnership of news organizations in Utah that aims to inform readers across the state.