Today is the day the Trump administration is sending ICE into our airports, to help reduce long lines. Does anyone actually believe that?
Donald Trump and his border czar, Tom Homan, have followed through on promises from the president’s administration to send in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents to US airports beginning on Monday to assist with security amid extremely long lines – and to help airport security agents who have been working without pay since 14 February because of a partial government shutdown.
I fail to see how adding more overbearing security to a system that is already packed with pointless security theater will help the lines. I also wonder if these ICE goons will be armed and masked? It sounds like a recipe for greater chaos and inefficiency to me, and that it’s really a strategy for increasing fear and tension.
Take a look at the current situation. Will ICE actually help?
To amplify the problem, check out this video on Bluesky.
Incredible scene: Travelers wait on hours-long security line at George Bush International Airport in Houston while Lee Greenwood’s “God Bless the USA” blasts through the speakers.
Yeah. Long lines plus Lee Greenwood? This is precisely what Hell would look like.
My experience with air travel in the last few years has been absolutely miserable and convinced me that I never want to fly anywhere ever again…and it’s gotten even worse.
From what I understand, even TSA isn’t sure what to do with ICE agents because it turns out TSA doesn’t expect new hires to work independently, so effectively they either tell ICE to just stay out of their way or they have more work training people who aren’t actually going to stay on. But it lets Trump and Homan say they are Doing Something and people can see it, even if it ranges from useless to actively making the problem worse.
By removing minorities (for whatever reason) from airports, the lines will decrease. Win-win for Trump, death to everything else this country supposedly stood for.
I also wonder if these ICE goons will be armed and masked?
Great way to sneak some explosives into an airport, terrorists or special forces from any of our enemies, take note.
Then I guess at least they sent the right people.
Haven’t been following this that closely — there’s too much shit happening all over — but I’m confused: TSA has been working without pay, but ICE is being paid? Even though they are both part of DHS? How does that work?
That’ll be because you are using US gallons. Convert your car to run on UK gallons and you’ll get an extra 19.78% fuel efficiency!
Woops: wrong freethoughtist!
This ICE at the airports scheme seems like another way to insinuate these thugs into yet another aspect of American life so that we “get used to” having the presence of an armed force visible in the community.
Coming soon: ICE thugs taking over air traffic control duties. Next up: ICE slated to replace school resource officers. The possibilities are endless.
“Coming soon: ICE thugs taking over air traffic control duties.”
Weren’t they trying that at LaGuardia airport?
Given the hostility towards these thugs from the general public you have to wonder what will happen when the ICEstapo tries grabbing a frightened 5 year old in the middle of a crowded airport.
This is theatre like when he dumped lots of irrigation water into the system of northern California, and claimed he had helped stop the fire in southern California.
.
I don’t know how long TSA personnel are trained but I suspect it is considerably longer than the ICE crowd. I do not call them ‘ICE agents’; with that short training they are marginally better than deputies that are issued a tin star before they ride off to head off some robbers at a pass.
Nervous, heavily armed poorly trained people in a stressful, crowded environment. Trouble brewing.
@9: For a minute I thought the OP was going to be about that. Prediction: Trump will find some excuse to badmouth the controller that was in charge of the fire truck, the inquiry will crucify that poor bastard and maybe some others, and completely whitewash any systemic problems like understaffing or chaotic comms-and-coordination systems.
If I recall correctly, TSA was supposed to “support itself” through additional airport and flight taxes. Maybe they spent it all on guns.
[actually, originally TSA was not horribly bad. The idea was pretty good – establish a baseline of security practices and standardize airport security. prior to 9/11, it was not uncommon for one airport to have holes in the perimeter, and no shared notion of what passengers were allowed to bring. in checked or cabin luggage. it did not take long for TSA to hire barking goons, corruptly purchase silly machines from companies run by congresspeople, and to freak people out with silly warnings.]
crivitz@#8:
This ICE at the airports scheme seems like another way to insinuate these thugs into yet another aspect of American life so that we “get used to” having the presence of an armed force visible in the community.
It’s worse than that. They want to penetrate many aspects of American life so that some day when the dictator wishes to give orders for them to adopt a new policy (“the election is cancelled”) they will be able to push that new policy in a distributed somewhat more unified front. They want to have “poll watchers” and “airport security” and random “goon squads” who can jump to enforcing a curfew when it’s declared. Also, don’t forget that ICE is financially penetrating society: there are more and more people whose livelihood is going to depend on how well they enforce compliance. Basically, a huge army of stupid bastards who will say over and over “I’m just following orders.”
Why bother continuing to make political posts like these? You have no unique perspective to offer; you’re just repeating what you hear on the internet. Why not stick to topics where you have some particular insight, like science? On current events, I don’t think I’ve ever seen you offer an interpretation that couldn’t also be found in a million other places.
sinuousrills @ 15
Slow clap to the person in the comments section of PZ’s blog telling him what topics he should allow himself to write about.
sinuousrills specimen:
Why bother continuing to read political posts like these? You think they have no unique perspective to offer; they’re just repeating what you hear on the internet. Why not stick to topics where you have some particular insight, like science? On current events, I don’t think I’ve ever seen you offer an interpretation that couldn’t also be found in a million other places.
(Every accusation is a confession)
@15. sinuousrills : Why bother continuing to make political posts like these?
Because PZ cares about this and so do most for his readers here?
Because it is important?
Because its PZ Myers’ blog and his choice of what he wants to say on it & this is what he chooses?
Disagree here. PZ Myers’s perspective might not be wildly different to some others but his views are specifically his and expressed in his way. Itr is original even if it has some or many commonalities with other writers on this. (Such as ______? )
Why not stick to reading here rather than thinking you get to tell the blogger to post only what you personally want – you choosing to skip posts you aren’t intrested in is always an option ain’t it? If not, why not?
Also this post provides PZ’s personal views and experiences – his individual lived experiences and opinions which people come here to read – or can choose to skip if they wish to do so instead. Blogs – how do you think they work again?
What exactly is your problem here?
I notice you do NOT consider PZ Myers has written anything false or incorrect at least not that you stated in your #15.
Do you disagree with him here and if so why? If you think he is missing something then please say what and why that matters.
Really? One million citations required please! ;-)
Actually, don’t need that many – provide us with three examples where the exact “ïnterpretation” matches PZ’s exactly. Can you even do that?
PS. @ sinuousrills : if you are really intrested in PZ’s science posts (which ones btw , spiders, evolution, genetics, cephalopods?) then why don’t we see you commenting on those more often rather than commenting on his political posts like,well, this one among others?
@ Marcus Ranum – 23 March 2026 at 9:30 pm & 9:36 pm :
Yup. Standardisation for consistency so everyone knows and follows the same general rules and things are simpler and less confusing and less arbitrary is good.
An army of jackbooted enforcers lacking flexibility, discretion and compassion is NOT.
Quoted for truth and can also see this coming – if it ain’t already here in effect now.
[meta]
StevoR, it’s nakkid trolling. No interest was ever expressed. Only condemnation.
Thus my mockery; if it was not worth the bother to post by their standard, it was not worth reading, and most certainly not furthermore worth writing a complaint about that.
(Tsk)
PS
So, you want an (army of jackbooted enforcers) with (flexibility, discretion and compassion).
Kinda weird use of ‘jackbooted’ and of ‘enforcers’. Incoherent, even.
huh.
I’ve been reading that as sinusrills.
so … “runny nose”?
@ 9 Snarki, child of Loki : “Weren’t they trying that (ICE thugs taking over air traffic control duties-ed.) at LaGuardia airport?”
Lessee :
Source : https://www.northjersey.com/story/news/transportation/2026/03/23/ice-agents-at-newark-airport-jfk-airport-laguardia-airport-what-to-know/89283761007/
Emphasis added.
I’d’ve thought that long wait times were long enough already and didn’t need much help in becoming any longer and more frustrating but seems Trump just wants to make everything worse.
But not air traffic control duties specifically it seems from what I can find.
Related – why the fuck are govt shutdowns are thing in the USoA anyhow?
Suggestion : a govt shutdown should mean instant new elections with leading figures in both parties responsible barred from contesting them?
^ Yes including the POTUS at the time of the govt shutdown too.
Reckon you guys need more (non-violent -klegal) ways of getting rid of bad POTUSés.. (POTi?)
@22. John Morales : FFS. Context is a thing you know? Also informal conversations; how do they work? (Maybe look it up if you don’;t already know?)
The “jackbooted enforcers” referred to were = Trump’s ICE agents in this context, The standardised system with proper I guess officers, airport workers, customer screeners / helpers / officials is what I’d prefer.
Also the old metaphor about “different horses for different courses” and “different ways to feed a cat” (okay modified that old saying coz I hate the traditional version) apply here.
I thought I knew what “jackboots” are until I saw the Wikipedia article photo of the British Army Household Cavalry boots.
Oh my stars and garters.
It’s OK, StevoR.
I can see you don’t get that the phrase, as written, is incoherent because “Jackbooted enforcers” cannot coherently be modified by virtues that negate the defining traits of jackbootedness.
See, you are insinuating; the phrasing connotes that the incoherence might be contextually repairable or conditionally coherent.
No. It’s plain risible. Gilding the lily does not do that justice.
(otiose reiteration indicating ignorance of the concepts at hand, and misframed as situational though the incoherence is intrinsic)
Therefore, to be possessed with double pomp,
To guard a title that was rich before,
To gild refinèd gold, to paint the lily,
To throw a perfume on the violet,
To smooth the ice or add another hue
Unto the rainbow, or with taper-light
To seek the beauteous eye of heaven to garnish,
Is wasteful and ridiculous excess.
@ 22 Morales
This is a pathetic troll even by your standards! C’mon man.
The second parenthesis are not “modifiers” they’re descriptors (in the negative).
“She was attacked by a rapist lacking any concern for the trauma he inflicted”, does not in anyway imply a concerned rapist is a thing, or would be okay.
地獄は、他人だ。
wondering how many of those ICE agents wandering around with masks covering their faces while they terrorize the general populace were vehemently opposed to mask wearing in 2020?