PITTSBURGH (PTTP) – The United States Transportation and Safety Administration still faces an ongoing struggle as partial government shutdown keeps agents from receiving paychecks, causing hours upon hours of delay as travellers try to conquer airport security. President Donald Trump has come up with a solution of his own to attempt to ease the situation, deploying ICE Agents to airports across the country to give aid to the continually dwindling number of TSA agents still returning to work.
ICE agents joined the masses of TSA workers early this week, first in plain clothes as they underwent training to learn the ins and outs of the airport, but now, they’ve begun checking identification and aiding with bag checks. ICE agents have continued to receive more training in various airports as they grow more acclimated, with the intention of them replacing the TSA employees who have left in any capacity deemed necessary. However, this has caused backlash, specifically with the speed ICE agents have been trained. TSA employees, on average, receive training for four to six months before they see the floor on their own. On top of that, union leaders have asked for this solution to cease, as it is not helping the issue at all, asking for government officials to rather turn their attention to the issue at hand: funding concerns with the Department of Homeland Security.
ICE Agents have also found their way into Pittsburgh International Airport amidst the shutdown, walking around in full vest and uniform. They have yet to become a part of the screening process in Pittsburgh, and a select few have been noticed thus far by the public. Pittsburgh International is currently facing a call out rate of around 24%, and as of now, 14 ICE agents have been confirmed as filling in within PIT’s walls. These agents will soon start tasks of their own, becoming responsible for checking passenger’s documents before proceeding through security, as well as manning airport entrances and exits. Pittsburgh officials hope to keep the number of agents as low as possible, however have acknowledged that the solution to this issue falls solely on the timeliness of the Federal Government to fix their second shutdown of over 30 days in the last four months.