ICE officers to be sent to US airports. But PDX’s status is still unclear

White House border czar Tom Homan confirmed Sunday that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers will be sent to airports starting Monday.

The move is part of an effort to address a shortage of security workers that’s leading to travel delays across the country.

Some airports have seen incredibly long lines for security, as a partial shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security has led many Transportation Security Administration workers to quit.

President Trump announced the move to install ICE officers at airports on social media over the weekend.

It’s unclear, though, how that deployment will play out at Portland International Airport — if at all.

Homan has not named which airports will see ICE agents, but said on CNN that the focus will likely be “the large airports where there’s a long wait, like three hours,” and that a more detailed plan would arrive soon.

PDX, meanwhile, has not seen the hours-long lines that have plagued other airports in recent weeks.

“I can confirm that to date we have not experienced travel impacts at PDX, and our security wait times have been normal even with the rise in passengers coming through,” said Maggie McEvoy, spokesperson for the Port of Portland.

McEvoy also said they have received no information so far about the potential deployment of ICE officers to the airport.

Still, Sunday’s announcement has already drawn condemnation from immigrant rights advocates, who expressed concern about the potential impacts on immigrants who need to travel by air.

Jordan Cunnings, legal director for Innovation Law Lab, said that while Portland’s status is still unknown, many immigrants are already afraid to utilize airports.

“I don’t think we have any reason to suspect that Portland would be exempt from any sort of national policy regarding ICE deployment at airports,” Cunnings said.

It’s also unknown exactly what role ICE agents would play at the airports.

Homan suggested Sunday that they would likely take on the tasks that best align with their training, like guarding airport entrances and exits.

DHS Acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis said in a written statement Sunday that the decision to deploy ICE officers would keep airports running smoothly.

“While the Democrats continue to put the safety, dependability, and ease of our air travel at risk, President Trump is taking action to deploy hundreds of ICE officers, that are currently funded by Congress, to airports being adversely impacted,” Bis wrote. “This will help bolster TSA efforts to keep our skies safe and minimize air travel disruptions.”

But many congressional Democrats, including U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley, criticized their Republican colleagues for failing to agree to a deal that would lift the partial shutdown.

“Democrats have attempted eight times to pay TSA agents and each time Republicans blocked it,” Merkley said in a statement. “So if President Trump is serious about shortening airport security lines and paying TSA agents, he’d tell the Republican majority to pass that bill to fully fund TSA.”