Several U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents could be seen at Pittsburgh International Airport on Tuesday, following reports of security checkpoint training sessions the day before.
Allegheny County Airport Authority spokesman Bob Kerlik said on Monday that airport officials were not briefed on exact plans for how ICE would operate, but that they would be at the airport during the ongoing Department of Homeland Security shutdown.
A TribLive photographer saw roughly a dozen agents standing on the other side of the security checkpoint gates Tuesday morning.
They wore vests marked with Enforcement and Removal Operations and ICE signage.
Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) is a division of ICE, according to the ICE field offices webpage.
Kimberly Kraynak-Lambert, District 3 manager for the American Federation of Government Employees, the union that represents Transportation Security Administration officers, said she believes ICE will not be performing any TSA screening functions.
“They will only be utilized as crowd control-type activities. TSA requires extensive training and tests on all aspects of the job,” Kraynak-Lambert said. “Someone can’t just walk into an airport and take over screening functions.”
Department of Homeland Security spokesman Jason Koontz declined to provide comment about ICE agents at the airport beyond a statement given to reporters on Monday.
“President Trump is using every tool available to help American travelers who are facing hours-long lines at airports across the country,” the statement said.
U.S. Sen. Dave McCormick, a Republican from Pennsylvania, condemned Democrats in social media posts over the budget impasse, blocking Department of Homeland Security funding.
“Many have been forced to leave the job, work second jobs, or stay home. On Sunday alone, PHL (Philadelphia International Airport) and PIT (Pittsburgh International Airport) saw over 24% callouts. At both airports, TSA officers are depending on food pantries and community donations for meals,” the McCormick post on X said.
On Thursday, Pittsburgh International Airport announced the start of an ongoing partnership with the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank to provide meals to TSA workers until the shutdown ends.
U.S. Sen. John Fetterman, a Democrat from Pennsylvania, also posted on social media about the shutdown’s impact on TSA.
“This mayhem came from a very specific choice to shut DHS down. Pure mass chaos that I refuse to vote for. Can you imagine what this must be like for the UNPAID TSA employees and people that are desperate to make their flight??” the post said.
Last week, Kerlik said Pittsburgh’s security checkpoint lines had not yet been significantly impacted.
Security wait times Tuesday late afternoon were just minutes long, according to the airport’s security wait times tracker.
