ICE agents have recently been deployed to U.S. airports due to a current staff shortage, and the move has not sat well with residents of New Jersey. Social media users have criticized agents working at Newark Liberty International Airport, one of the locations affected by the recent changes.
The discussion has been taking place on Reddit’s r/nyc and is quickly gaining traction as of this report, as many residents are angered by the agency’s presence at the airport.
What sparked the post was a picture taken by someone who allegedly passed through Newark Liberty International Airport. In it, four ICE agents can be seen standing idly, and the post had the caption “ICE busy at work at Newark airport.”
The presence of ICE agents at airports began recently, following a partial shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security due to a lack of resources. This led to a staffing shortage for screening passengers before flights, resulting in reports of massive airport lines across the country. To mitigate the problems, the federal administration deployed immigration agents to these locations.
New Jersey and New York Locals Unhappy With ICE’s Presence
On the post, users criticized ICE: “Nobody to arrest if they need a real ID or passport to fly. Total waste of government money when they are in a partial shutdown.” Others wrote, “People get mad at spending money on the homeless and people who need it, when these [expletive] get away with doing this.”
A person who allegedly frequents the airport claimed that it made no sense for the agents to be there: “I was at Newark yesterday, and there aren’t any big security delays.”
Others highlighted how the agents were dressed: “Why do they need bulletproof vests in an airport? TSA doesn’t wear those.” This prompted another person to respond sarcastically, “Protection against getting shot by their fellow ICE members.”
What seemed to really irk some locals was the claim that agents were reportedly violent at airports and not trained to operate in these locations: “Goons getting paid to play Candy Crush and hurt old ladies.” The comment echoes reports of an incident in which agents were recently accused of “causing havoc” at other airports.
It is currently unclear how long ICE agents will continue assisting with operations at international airports, but their presence may persist at least until the Department of Homeland Security shutdown ends.
