By: Ashmar Mandou

Nearly 75 Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents combed through O’Hare International Airport as the partial government shutdown continues. President Trump sent ICE agents to help TSA officers across the country during the partial government shutdown as Democrats have continued to fight over funding of the Department of Homeland Security.

“We will closely monitor the deployment and use every tool we have to ensure that people, no matter their immigration status, can travel to and from Chicago safely and without harassment from the federal government,” said Mayor Brandon Johnson.

According to DHS, ICE agents will perform non-screening support duties, including monitoring exit lanes, making routine passenger announcements and helping with line management. As of Monday morning, several agents were already seen at the Chicago airport. At least two officers wearing gear labeling them as “ICE” were seen in O’Hare’s Terminal 3 Monday morning and more were seen in Terminal 2. Meanwhile, two Homeland Security Investigations officers were seen near a baggage claim exit in Terminal 1.

Republicans and Democrats are locked in an impasse over funding for the Department of Homeland Security. Democrats are pushing for new limits and restrictions on immigration enforcement agents as part of their conditions for keeping the department funded, and they’ve made efforts to introduce separate legislation to fund the TSA as the shutdown continues. Republicans have blocked that legislation, saying they will only pass a bill that provides full funding to the department. Elected officials voiced their concerns over the ICE agents deployed at O’Hare airport.

“Deploying ICE agents to airports is not making travelers safer or addressing long security lines, just like their presence in our cities does not make us safer. Instead, this unprecedented action is making people afraid to go to the airport, and causing confusion and violence, like the incident in San Francisco last night. This is exactly what Trump wants. If Trump were serious about addressing long lines at airports, he would support Democratic legislation to fund TSA. Instead, Republicans keep blocking it because they are trying to strong-arm Congress into sending billions more to ICE and CBP and pass voter suppression legislation.”  -Congressman Jesús “Chuy” García (IL-04)

“ICE has no place in airport security lines. This is the same agency tied to deaths, injuries, and widespread harm—now placed in one of the most crowded, high-stress environments in the country. Just like they aren’t trained for urban operations, ICE agents aren’t equipped to handle routine aviation security. As Republicans in Congress refuse basic safeguards to rein in ICE while letting DHS funding lapse, the Trump administration is exploiting that chaos to expand ICE’s reach even further. We must end this—fund DHS responsibly, pull ICE out of airports, and restore order.” –ICE Accountability Project

“What we are seeing at our airports is a stunt, not security. Once again, we are witnessing the weaponization of our government against the people it is meant to serve. This is a transparent political ploy designed to manufacture fear within our communities, not to actually protect the American people.” –Independent Candidate for Illinois’ 4th Congressional District Mayra Gacías