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The US government has initiated the deployment of hundreds of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents to airports across the country to address significant staffing shortages and security concerns. This move comes as a result of a prolonged federal funding battle that has led to long delays and congestion at airport security screening stations.According to reports, ICE and Homeland Security Investigations officers are being deployed to more than a dozen airports, including major hubs such as New York’s John F Kennedy International Airport and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. The deployment aims to support the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) workers, who have been working without pay due to the funding lapse.The funding crisis began on February 14, when some Department of Homeland Security (DHS) funding lapsed due to disagreements over reforms in the wake of President Donald Trump’s immigration policies. This has resulted in TSA agents working without pay and over 300 employees quitting since the shutdown began.While the deployment is intended to alleviate security concerns, it has raised serious concerns among Democrats and some Republicans. They argue that untrained ICE agents could fuel tensions and are not equipped to handle airport security duties. House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries and Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski have expressed opposition to the plan, emphasizing the need to resolve DHS funding issues and pay TSA agents.In response to the deployment, President Trump has requested that ICE agents remove their face masks while working at airports, citing concerns about their visibility. However, the move has been met with criticism, with some arguing that it could lead to additional tensions at already strained airport security checkpoints.