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Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers are continuing deportation operations nationwide despite the ongoing Department of Homeland Security funding lapse and their deployment to assist with airport security operations, a DHS spokesperson confirmed.
Over the weekend, ICE arrested numerous high-priority criminal suspects, including an MS-13 gang member, multiple child predators, rapists, and drug traffickers—even as hundreds of agents were simultaneously dispatched to major airports to support the Transportation Security Administration (TSA).
“ICE will continue arresting public safety threats from our communities and will not allow the Democrats to slow us down from making America safe again,” said DHS Acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis in a statement to Fox News Digital.
The agency’s dual operations come amid severe airport delays nationwide. ICE officers have been seen assisting understaffed TSA personnel at terminals across major hubs including New York City, Chicago, Houston, Phoenix, Atlanta and New Orleans. Former Trump border czar Tom Homan told CBS News that ICE agents would maintain “a nice presence” at airports until TSA reaches normal operational capacity.
In the New York metropolitan area, where agents were deployed to John F. Kennedy, LaGuardia and Newark Liberty airports, ICE still managed to apprehend Pierre Bell, a Jamaican national convicted of rape in the Bronx. Similarly, in Illinois, where agents were supporting security efforts at Chicago’s O’Hare Airport, officers arrested Miguel Benitez-Campos, a Mexican national previously convicted of unlawful possession of a weapon by a felon in Cook County.
Texas operations remained active despite ICE personnel supporting two Houston airports experiencing significant delays. Officers there arrested Jose Santos Vigil-Mendez, from El Salvador, convicted of deadly conduct, and Jorge Luis Carrera-Hernandez, from Mexico, who has convictions for deadly conduct and controlled substance possession.
In Alexandria, Virginia, a Washington, D.C. suburb, ICE detained Pedro Antonio Luna, a Salvadoran national convicted of multiple counts of aggravated sexual battery involving children under 13 and 15 years old. The arrest comes as nearby Fairfax County faces controversy over a case involving a 19-year-old undocumented Salvadoran immigrant accused of groping several minor girls at a local high school.
California operations yielded multiple high-profile arrests, including Luis Calderon-Martinez, described by DHS as an MS-13 gang member from El Salvador with felony convictions across multiple states for conspiracy to distribute narcotics, carjacking, hit-and-run, property damage, and driving under the influence.
Near Los Angeles, ICE apprehended Angel Navarro-Camarillo and Higinio Gonzalez Machorro, both Mexican nationals. Navarro-Camarillo is a registered sex offender and active gang member convicted of lewd acts with a child under 14, while Gonzalez Machorro was convicted of rape by use of drugs. North of San Francisco, officers arrested Alfredo Luna-Ruiz, another Mexican national with convictions for false imprisonment, domestic violence, providing false identification to law enforcement, and driving under the influence.
These enforcement actions are occurring against the backdrop of a contentious funding dispute in Congress. The Department of Homeland Security continues to experience a lapse in funding as Democrats have made resumed appropriations contingent on changes to ICE and Border Patrol enforcement tactics.
“Democrats must stop playing political games and reopen DHS now,” said Bis, adding that “TSA is extremely grateful to the patriotic men and women of ICE who have deployed to airports that are facing a high number of callouts because of the Democrats’ shutdown.”
According to Bis, at the direction of President Trump and Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin, TSA officers should begin receiving paychecks immediately. The funding lapse reportedly forced over 500 officers to leave TSA altogether, with thousands more calling out of work, necessitating the ICE deployment to maintain airport security operations.
“ICE will continue working with TSA for as long as the President determines necessary to ensure Americans are able to travel safely nationwide,” Bis stated.
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9 Comments
While I appreciate DHS’s commitment to public safety, I’m a bit skeptical about the long-term sustainability of this approach. Reassigning ICE agents could create gaps in deportation operations and undermine enforcement. Hopefully they have a solid contingency plan.
This is a complex situation without any easy solutions. On one hand, border security and immigration enforcement are essential. On the other, airport delays caused by staffing shortages also pose risks. DHS will need to carefully manage both priorities.
Interesting move by Homeland Security to continue deportation efforts even with ICE agents helping out at airports. Seems like a delicate balancing act to maintain immigration enforcement while supporting TSA during staffing shortages.
Agreed, it’s a challenging situation they’re navigating. Hopefully they can find ways to efficiently handle both priorities without compromising security or enforcement.
I’m curious to see how this plays out long-term. Maintaining deportation operations while temporarily reassigning agents to TSA seems risky. Wonder if they’ll need to seek additional funding or resources to cover both responsibilities adequately.
Arresting MS-13 gang members and other serious criminals is absolutely critical for public safety. Good to see DHS taking a tough stance, even as they juggle the airport security challenges.
Fully agree. Removing dangerous criminal elements should be a top priority, regardless of staffing issues at other agencies. DHS is right to stay the course on enforcement.
Kudos to the ICE agents for helping out at the airports amid the funding cuts. Securing our borders and deporting criminal threats should remain a top priority, even in the face of staffing challenges.
Well said. Public safety has to come first, even if it creates some short-term operational challenges. Good to see DHS affirming their commitment to enforcement.