Why ICE agents aren't coming to KCI
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Security lines at Kansas City International Airport. Photo: Courtesy of the KC Aviation Department
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents won't be sent to Kansas City International Airport during the partial Department of Homeland Security shutdown because of the way it staffs its checkpoints.
The big picture: ICE agents were sent to more than a dozen airports Monday, including hubs like Houston, Atlanta and Chicago, to help manage crowds.
- Transportation Security Administration officers have been working without pay, and hundreds have quit or called out, leading to hourslong waits at some airports, with checkpoints closing and lines spilling into terminals and parking garages.
How it works: Since 2002, screening at KCI has been handled by VMD Corp. under TSA's Screening Partnership Program, which allows airports to contract out security functions.
- Those officers still undergo TSA training and operate under TSA supervision within the terminal. The difference is who employs them.
- Because they are contractors, not federal workers, their pay and schedule have not been affected.
Zoom out: KCI is one of a small number of U.S. airports that do not rely on TSA employees to run checkpoints.
- That includes larger airports like San Francisco International and Orlando Sanford International, as well as smaller airports such as Sarasota Bradenton International, Punta Gorda and Frederick Douglass Greater Rochester International.
Context: Federal agencies already operate at KCI as part of their daily operations, but KC aviation department spokesperson Jackson Overstreet tells Axios that they have been told no additional ICE agents will be sent to KCI.
What to watch: Overstreet says travelers should check conditions at their destination, as some airports are seeing longer lines due to staffing shortages.
- That could mean tighter connections or longer waits on a return trip, so building in extra time may help avoid delays.
Go deeper: Welcome to the spring of travel hell.