Welcome back to This Week on ICE.

Over the weekend, U.S. President Donald Trump announced he would deploy ICE agents to U.S. airports to help TSA workers if an agreement isn’t reached in Congress to fund the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). On Monday, we saw the beginnings of that promise, with ICE deployed to 14 airports nationwide. Also on Monday, Markwayne Mullin was officially sworn in as the new DHS Secretary. On Wednesday via a post on Truth Social, Trump floated the idea of sending the National Guard to provide further assistance to TSA officers as the five-weeks-and-counting partial government shutdown bottlenecks travel and TSA agents go without a second full paycheck. Early Friday, after seven previous failed attempts, the Senate finally voted to fund DHS except for ICE operations and Border Patrol. The bill has been brought to the House today. It approved, it would then be passed to Trump to sign, potentially ending the longest partial government shutdown in U.S. history.

It’s Friday afternoon, and we’re so glad you’re here. Let’s get started.

The top line: Kelly reported from JFK International Airport to get an up-close look at ICE deployments to airports. Here’s what she found out.

John F. Kennedy (JFK) International Airport in New York has among the nation’s highest rates (37%) of TSA call-outs from work amid a protracted government shutdown that started after a Congressional budget stalemate over DHS funding — largely centered on disputes over ICE. That shutdown that has left 47,000 TSA agents without full paychecks since at least February 14, causing massive airport disruptions nationwide and hours-long wait times at security checkpoints.

Once Kelly got to JFK, her experience underscored what news headlines have already uncovered: ICE agents weren’t doing much of anything in the way of supporting TSA activities.

“If we remember, there was a congressional hearing with an ICE whistleblower [and former ICE lawyer] named Ryan Schwank. He said himself that ICE’s training program is ‘deficient, effective and broken.’ He claimed that new recruits are actually trained to violate the Fourth Amendment and that essential safety and legal training hours are slashed to increase officer production. So, if we can’t even assume a certain level of training just to be ICE officers, we can’t really assume that ICE officers can then have the appropriate training or awareness to be TSA agents.” — Kelly

The part that was personal to Kelly, however, was what she saw in just a 30-second span later that afternoon in Terminal 5: At one moment, a group of American travelers were giving death stares to a group of ICE agents stationed nearby. A brief moment later, an older gentleman walked up to this group, thanking them profusely for their service and for being there.

“What is abundantly clear is that when it comes to ICE, there are at least two distinct Americas: There’s one America that sees ICE as an extension of a police state, an entity that is knowingly breaking laws and destabilizing norms that challenge the basic human rights and dignities of anyone who chooses to be in this country, regardless of their current citizenship status. And then there’s the other America. That is the America that sees ICE as defending their safety and their opportunities from dangerous, criminal outsiders. And I saw that pretty much point blank.” — Kelly

What to know about our rights at airports:

* Can ICE take my phone or search my bags? — If you are flying domestically, no. However, federal agents can search your bags and digital devices if you are flying in from overseas, under the border exception to the 4th Amendment. Even then, they cannot hack into your phone or plug in a special device to open your tech without a warrant. Consider turning off biometrics, deleting social media and messaging apps when passing through security, or even leaving your personal device at home and opting for a burner phone during travel.

* Can ICE arrest me at the airport? — Potentially. Legal experts warn that non-citizens are at heightened risk of having this happen to them, especially given that TSA now provides information about travelers to ICE .

Per your First Amendment rights, you cannot be arrested for reasons directly pertaining to your religion or political beliefs. But here’s what we know so far about ICE arrests this week: Earlier this month, two U.S. citizens and three green card holders were in ICE custody for nearly 30 hours after being detained at Chicago O’Hare airport. Authorities claimed they were detained all because of their recent travel history raising suspicion among ICE officers. These folks had just arrived at O’Hare after a trip to Istanbul. These folks were taken from O’Hare airport an moved to a facility in Wisconsin and release at 5 AM with no way to get home.

* Can I be denied entry into the U.S.? — If you’re not a U.S. citizen, you can be denied entry into the United States, as ICEs can refuse entry if they believe you are “inadmissible.” (It’s basically a catch-all for things such as visa issues, prior violations with the law). U.S. citizens cannot be denied entry to the country.

You asked us all of your burning questions about ICE. Here are our answers:

How true are reports of ICE searching your phone/laptop for anti-Trump content at TSA?

“ I’ve not been able to find any documented reports of travelers turning up at a TSA line and having ICE seize their devices and search their devices and prevent them from continuing on in their journey. That really changes if you’re flying in from overseas, that in that case, you’re considered to be at a U.S. border. At the airport, and there’s a special exception to the Fourth Amendment called the Border Exception, which allows federal agents to make warrantless searches of your person, your luggage, and your electronic devices. ” — Matt

What can I do as a citizen to help?

You have a legal right to film and audio‑record ICE in public areas like airports, but you cannot interfere with their activities. As you film or record, it’s best to keep a distance of about 10 ft away. If you’re filming someone being detained, calmly ask them for their name and an emergency contact number. You can then remind them of their right to remain silent and reach out to their emergency contact to inform them of what’s going on.

Later, consider waiting to upload media once you’ve left the immediate area and brought yourself to a safe location. Consider sharing it with a local volunteer ICE alert hotline — like Hands Off NYC.

Are brown/black people being pulled aside for “additional screening” at higher rates?

Historically and statistically, Black and brown people are pulled aside more often at airports. But regarding this new ICE deployment, it’s too soon to tell if this will be the case. Regardless, it’s your First Amendment right not to be questioned or judged based on religion or political affiliation, and you can refuse those questions if asked by ICE agents.

This feels a lot like the month before COVID. Will the gas crisis force us all to stay local very soon?

Is ICE presence deterring travelers?

Individual reports have so far shown that ICE presence is intimidating folks from traveling. Previous government shutdowns give us some clues:

An economic study conducted by the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond about the 2025 government shutdown, which 45 days long, reveals that the resulting airport delays cost Americans about $66 million with 1000s of flights cut. In Boston’s airport alone, delays jumped to 500% and the airport lost about $21 million due to lost time, cancelations, and delays.

“Right now we’re already facing an economy defined by hiring slumps, inflation, tariffs, and if this [partial shutdown] is approaching the longest government shutdown in history, statistics indicate that this is going to have a real ding in the economy, and possibly deter people from spending money like traveling.” — Kelly

Is it time to flee the country? How do you know?

This decision calls for a deeply personal reflection, with no easy answer for everyone. Recent ICE activity escalations, including their new presence at airports, may not yet be an obvious “flee now” moment for you, but it could be for someone else.

At the beginning of Trump’s second term, a cadre of academics who study fascism and authoritarianism fled the country fairly quickly in order to more freely continue their research. Others felt they had no choice but to self deport.

“It’s important to reflect on what level of risk you’re willing to tolerate, and if that level of risk is breached, then have an action plan. It may feel a little silly, but you might end up helping yourself more than you think.” — Kelly

On your way out: Follow us on social!

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That’s all for now. Keep sending your questions, comments and thoughts to [email protected]. Catch you next time.

— Kelly and Matt

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