CNN reporter stunned by dramatic drop in TSA wait times after ICE deployment: ‘Almost can’t believe’

ATLANTA, GEORGIA: Security wait times at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport dropped sharply from hours to minutes after Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents were deployed to assist during an ongoing government shutdown, according to a report by CNN.

The dramatic change was highlighted by CNN senior national correspondent Ryan Young, who said he was surprised by how quickly lines improved after weeks of long delays caused by staffing shortages among unpaid Transportation Security Administration workers.

Wait times drop sharply

Young reported the developments during a live segment with anchor Wolf Blitzer on Tuesday, March 24, describing a noticeable improvement at security checkpoints inside the airport.

“Wolf, I almost can’t believe I’m able to say this, the times have dropped off tremendously this morning,” Young said.

He added that passengers who had previously waited up to an hour were now moving through security in minutes. Visuals from the airport showed nearly empty lines, with fewer than a dozen people at the main checkpoint.

“People were waiting an hour in line, now that is not the case. If you look at the main checkpoint here, it seems like there’s less than a dozen people. I don’t think people thought they were going to see the numbers where they are right now.”

ICE role at airports across the US

The presence of ICE agents followed their deployment to multiple airports nationwide on Monday, March 23, aimed at easing congestion as TSA workers continued to work without pay due to a partial shutdown affecting the Department of Homeland Security.

Young noted that the agents were not actively screening passengers or checking identification. Instead, they were positioned around checkpoints and airport perimeters in a support and security role.

“They are patrolling the outside areas of the airport, keeping people safe, interacting with some of the people as they walk by but for the most part they have this defensive posture where they’re sort of just walking around and making the parameter is safe,” he said.

He further clarified that he had not observed any immigration enforcement actions at the airport. “We’ve never seen them take a license from anybody as well,” Young noted.

“The one area of the job that we have seen them do is every now and then they’ll stand, like this gentleman is, right behind some of the TSA agents, but not even interacting with the public. So he’s standing there guarding, but not taking any sort of boarding pass or ID from anyone.”