This Monday, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents were deployed to Cleveland Hopkins International Airport (CLE) to assist Transportation Security Administration (TSA) operations during the partial government shutdown. ICE personnel were also sent to 12 other major airports facing similar staffing shortages. According to the Department of Homeland Security, more than 400 TSA employees resigned since the shutdown began on Feb. 14. AT CLE, ICE officers are said to be stationed at exits and assigned to non-screening positions to alleviate the delays and manage operational flow.
With the increasing politicization of ICE, especially in the context of rigid enforcement of immigration policy, just hearing about the agency’s presence may evoke unease among the public masses. This may be especially true in communities that recently experienced or actively participated in protests against ICE’s occupancy in their cities, where tensions may particularly linger.
“The deployment of ICE agents to our airports deeply concerns me and should certainly raise caution amongst our communities,” second-year Johan Laryea said, “… they have been stationed in a high stress environment, where their presence instills fear and concern among innocent individuals.”
While Hartsfield‑Jackson Atlanta (ATL) and William P. Hobby (HOU) airports were experiencing TSA lines stretching up to six hours, CLE airport was only managing 15 minute wait times. Thus, the mobilization of ICE officers to an airport like Cleveland’s does not appear to be a tactical or necessary response, especially as more severe disruptions persisted elsewhere without the agency’s support. This discrepancy suggests that ICE’s presence at CLE may reflect ulterior motives, further fueling the unease and potential distrust felt by travelers and the greater Cleveland community. Especially as more than half of Ohio’s immigrant population resides in the Cleveland area.
Following President Donald Trump’s bold and incorrect statement during his 2024 campaign about Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio stealing and eating pets, he continues to spread misinformation and terrorize American residents. The Trump administration currently seeks to remove Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for approximately 350,000 Haitian immigrants. The status remains valid due to federal courts blocking its termination. Currently, on the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration website, the administration is criticizing the judge’s decision, claiming that “a single judge in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia issued an order staying the Secretary’s TPS termination decision. […] The Department of Homeland Security vehemently disagrees with this order and is working with Department of Justice to determine next steps.” Since January, there have been concerns regarding possible ICE operations in Ohio, following their deployment to Minnesota. Many have anticipated that the administration would go after Ohio harder than ever due to community pushback, and these recent developments have only reaffirmed this reality.
“I am not very trusting with the official statements [the administration is] putting out because they’re claiming that the reason why they’re deploying ICE to the airports is to help with traffic control … but that’s not even true because a lot of the busiest airports aren’t having ICE agents deployed,” second-year Nandini Negi said.
For example, Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI) is experiencing wait times up to three hours, reported by travelers on Tuesday. However, agents have not been assigned to BWI as of yet.
“This is just the start,” Negi says, “… because the only way for anyone to enter the U.S. is through airports.”
ICE agents are not specialized in aviation security, yet during the ongoing partial shutdown, they will continue to get paid with the $85 billion at the agency’s disposal as they are classified as essential workers. Meanwhile TSA agents do not have this same designation despite operating under the same Department of Homeland Security. Since officers are uncertified in the screening process, their presence is seemingly useless in supporting operational flow.
At the same time, over 50,000 TSA staff continued working without pay for more than five weeks. The past and current shutdown jeopardized TSA employees financially with many facing realities of financial insecurity and distress. The substitution of experienced employees with paid agency officers, lacking in sufficient airport security training, reads as a slight to those with years of experience in this field. Even so, Trump expressed the possibility of deploying the National Guard alongside ICE agents to support airport security.
Social media users are actively responding to the situation, warning passengers to disable the facial recognition on their handheld devices when entering airports, avoid using airport WiFi networks and print boarding passes so that they can keep their devices completely turned off during any potential ICE interactions in the airport.
The ICE agency’s use of aggressive force against protestors and suspected immigrants may intensify the unease Case Western Reserve University students experience traveling to and from campus. With more than 19% of CWRU’s total student population consisting of international students, this concern is especially pronounced. For those without the blanket security of citizenship or a U.S. birth certificate, past incidents involving ICE intervention can heighten fear, particularly in highly surveillance spaces like airports that already create stress for passengers. “It makes me very worried for my friends, my family and I just think [people] should be as cautious as possible,” Negi said.
“I acknowledge there isn’t much I can do to help this situation as a regular civilian but keep myself educated, continue to spread awareness, and urge others to do the same,” Laryea said.