00:00Trump said he would send ICE agents to bolster TSA officer shortages amid the ongoing government
00:05shutdown, but the largest federal workers' union warns that this could create a major safety risk.
00:12TSA officers haven't been paid in weeks, and since they're considered essential,
00:17they have to keep working, even without pay. That's because the part of the government that
00:21funds TSA has run out of funds due to the current standoff. More than 400 officers have already
00:28quit since mid-February, according to the White House. That's left airports short-staffed with
00:33long lines and departure delays. Some airports have even advised travelers to arrive up to four
00:38hours early. Now, the Trump administration is looking to bring in ICE agents to help fill the
00:44gap. Immigration enforcement, including ICE, are still operating with existing or separate funding,
00:50so those officers are still getting paid. But the American Federation of Government Employees
00:56says ICE agents aren't trained for the job. TSA agents undergo months of specialized training to
01:02detect weapons, explosives, and other threats designed to evade airport screening. And the
01:08longer the shutdown continues, the worse the TSA staffing problem could get, as more officers leave
01:14to find jobs that will actually pay. Officials say that disruptions to air travel could put pressure
01:20on Congress to reach a deal and end the shutdown. Until then, travelers are feeling the impact at
01:26airports across the U.S. To read more about air travel disruptions in the U.S., head to Business Insider.
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