Protestors gather outside Atlanta airport over ICE deployment

ATLANTA - Federal agents deployed to Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport for the first time Monday, sparking immediate controversy and a protest as travelers faced hours-long security lines.

What we know:

The deployment follows President Donald Trump’s weekend announcement that ICE agents would be sent to airports nationwide to assist at security checkpoints impacted by the ongoing government shutdown. 

While the agents were intended to help manage the flow of passengers, their arrival was met by roughly 60 protesters carrying signs with messages such as "ICE OUT" and "TRUMP PAY TSA WORKERS NOW."

Protests and pushback

Demonstrators gathered outside the world's busiest airport to voice their opposition to the use of immigration agents for airport security.

"We got to show that no matter where they sending ICE all over the country, the people are going to show up and fight back," said protester Jasmine Williams.

Williams questioned the logic behind the federal move, suggesting the funds should be used differently. "We could pay TSA workers right now to do their job to move people through the airport like they always do, but instead they decided to send ICE down," she said.

Travelers face "atrocious" lines

Inside the terminal, the presence of ICE agents and an increased number of Atlanta Police officers did little to alleviate the congestion. 

Security lines circled the airport throughout the day, forcing passengers to arrive half a day in advance to catch their flights.

Passenger Andrea Holmes arrived "6 hours earlier" to ensure she wouldn't miss her departure. 

Another traveler, Marco Bosquet, said the extreme wait times had already cost him a trip. "Yesterday, we had our flight. We showed up about 4 hours early and still missed it due to the lines being atrocious, as you can see now," Bosquet said.

The effectiveness of the new federal presence remained a primary topic of conversation among those waiting.

"If they're going to help us get through faster, then fine, but otherwise, they don’t belong here in the airport," Holmes said.

What we don't know:

The deployment comes as TSA staffing continues to be strained by the federal shutdown. 

While FOX 5 cameras confirmed the presence of ICE agents at Hartsfield-Jackson on Monday, it remains unclear how long the deployment will last or if the additional personnel will successfully reduce the wait times that have plagued the airport.

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