No ICE agents at San Antonio International Airport – San Antonio Express-News

A passenger prepares to go through the TSA line in Terminal B at the San Antonio International Airport (SAT) on Wednesday, March 18, 2026.
President Donald Trump is deploying federal immigration officers to busy airports across the country, but they aren’t coming to San Antonio International Airport. 
Trump said he is deploying agents to supplement Transportation Security Administration’s workforce during the ongoing partial government shutdown, which has caused long lines at security checkpoints across the country.
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But lines at San Antonio’s airport have largely remained short since the shutdown began on Feb. 14.
“At this time, we are not aware of any plans for Immigration and Custom Enforcement (ICE) officers to be assigned to San Antonio International Airport,” airport spokeswoman Tonya Hope said in a statement Monday. “Our security checkpoints continue to operate efficiently with short wait times and exceptional customer service.”
Federal officers are a routine presence at international airports, where Customs and Border Protection officers screen arriving travelers and Homeland Security Investigations agents handle criminal cases tied to smuggling, trafficking and fraud. But assigning immigration to assist at TSA security checkpoints is unusual. 
Trump said ICE agents will guard exit lanes or check passenger IDs unless Democrats agree to fund the Department of Homeland Security.
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Acting DHS assistant secretary Lauren Bis declined to confirm in a statement to the San Antonio Express-News the location of federal immigration officers at airports around the country, citing “operational security reasons.” 
Hundreds of thousands of Homeland Security workers, including Coast Guard, TSA and U.S. Secret Service employees, have worked without pay since Congress failed to renew DHS funding last month.
Democrats have refused to fund ICE and Customs and Border Protection without major changes to their operations in the wake of the deaths of Alex Pretti and Renee Good in Minneapolis.
Though TSA agents are required to continue working during shutdowns, they frequently call in sick or quit their jobs at higher rates the longer they go without pay. 
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“Because of the Democrat shutdown, President Trump is using every tool available to help American travelers who are facing hours long lines at airports across the country — especially during this spring break and holiday season that is very important for many American families,” Bis said.
She said the shutdown has caused “more than 400 TSA officers to quit and thousands to call out from work because they are not able to afford gas, childcare, food, or rent.”
Associated Press reporters spotted a handful of immigration officers Monday morning near busy lines at Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport. And a handful of other airports — including Louis Armstrong International in New Orleans, as well as Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental and William P. Hobby airports — said Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers would also be on-site to support TSA operations.
ICE personnel are going to 14 airports, including JFK and LaGuardia in New York, Newark, Philadelphia, Chicago, Atlanta, New Orleans, Houston and Phoenix, according to a document obtained by The New York Times. 
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Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, which is often used by San Antonio travelers, isn’t expecting ICE agents to assist with TSA screenings, officials said in a Facebook comment Monday. 
Security checkpoint lines stretched outside of the Austin airport several times in the past two weeks, though lawmakers told KUT News that the extended wait times were due to spring break travel and a crush of South by Southwest conference attendees, not a shortage in TSA agents. 
The Associated Press contributed to this report. 
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Megan Rodriguez covers City Hall for the San Antonio Express-News. She can be reached at megan.rodriguez@express-news.net.
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