Two ICE agents observe passengers waiting in long TSA lines at the George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston on Wednesday.Evan Garcia/Reuters
U.S. President Donald Trump deployed Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to major American airports Monday, after a partial government shutdown left the Department of Homeland Security without funding for more than a month.
The U.S. Senate passed legislation early Friday that would restore funding for most of the Department of Homeland Security, including airport security.
While immigration laws haven’t changed with the addition of the agents at border checkpoints, their presence might come as a surprise to some travellers.
Here’s what you need to know when you travel south.
What is ICE?
ICE is the U.S. federal immigration agency. It was formed in 2003, and falls under the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
ICE focuses on immigration enforcement and national security, and its agents are also in charge of immigration detention facilities. The agency does not patrol the U.S.’s land or sea borders, and it doesn’t have international jurisdiction.
The agency has played a central role in Trump’s immigration crackdown. ICE most recently deployed agents to Minnesota in January, resulting in agents fatally shooting Americans Renee Nicole Macklin Good and Alex Pretti.
Minnesota sues Trump administration over shootings by federal officers
Why are wait times so long at U.S. airports?
The Transportation Security Administration is under the DHS and its personnel are in charge of airport security. The department has experienced a shortage of workers because of a lack of government funding.
U.S. Congress failed to renew DHS’s finances on Feb. 14, after Democrats refused to fund ICE without operational changes. That cut off funding for the TSA, resulting in thousands of workers receiving no pay for more than a month.
Officers called out of work, took second jobs or quit because of the shutdown, which is increasing the wait times. Although ICE is also under the DHS, the agency is still receiving paycheques as a result of Mr. Trump’s tax cuts bill.
The U.S. Senate voted Friday to restore funding for most of the Department of Homeland Security except its ICE operations.
The bill would restore pay for airport security screeners, disaster-response workers and members of the U.S. Coast Guard. It does not include new limits on the agents carrying out Mr. Trump’s immigration crackdown - a key demand of Democrats.
Why are ICE agents going to airports? Which airports are they in?
Mr. Trump deployed ICE agents Monday to help shorten the long wait times at major U.S. airports. The agents are helping with things such as crowd control and verifying passengers’ identities using TSA equipment. The DHS has said the ICE agents received the TSA training curriculum.
Officers have been spotted at many major airports, including George Bush Intercontinental in Houston, LaGuardia in New York, John F. Kennedy International in New York, O’Hare International in Chicago, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International in Atlanta and Louis Armstrong International in Louisiana.
Are there precautions I should take before heading to the U.S.?
If you are headed to the U.S. for longer than six months, are working in the U.S. or are attending school in the country, make sure to have the proper visa. Travel for recreation does not usually require a visa. Arrive at the airport a couple of hours early to account for lines at security and customs.
If you are detained by ICE agents, ask the agents to contact the Canadian consulate or Global Affairs Canada’s Emergency Watch and Response Centre. Global Affairs Canada should be able to notify family of your location.
Have any Canadians been taken into ICE custody?
As of December, 2025, an estimated 207 Canadians had been held in ICE custody at some point since January, 2025. In 2024, the total number of Canadians was 130. Most of the detained Canadians held by ICE on immigration violations alone were detained for not having the required visa in 2025.
On March 20, a seven-year-old and her mother were detained by immigration officers in Texas, despite having the proper visas. They were not detained at an airport but instead at a checkpoint in Texas about 130 kilometres from the U.S.-Mexico border.
With reports from Sara Mojtehedzadeh, Chen Wang, Jesse Winter, The Associated Press and Reuters.