ICE shows up at MSY as problems pile up in New Orleans

Airport security

Driving the news: The Trump administration deployed U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents on Monday to Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport to "bolster TSA efforts," the Department of Homeland Security confirmed to Axios in a statement.

• More than 40% of Transportation Security Administration agents called out sick Sunday amid a partial federal shutdown, during which they are working without pay. It was the highest percentage in a DHS breakdown of major airports.
• MSY's security lines were backed up into the garage Sunday and Monday, causing many to miss flights.
• Jeffrey Price, an aviation security expert, tells Axios' Avery Lotz that "we're very close to reaching a breaking point" nationally. Go deeper.

Zoom in: It's unclear what ICE's role will be at MSY or how long agents will be here.

• Mayor Helena Moreno said she was told the agents "are only assisting with checkpoint operations such as line management and crowd control, not immigration enforcement."
• "I recognize that the presence of ICE in public spaces can raise concerns in our community," Moreno said in a statement. "My priority is ensuring that all travelers feel safe, respected and informed."
• DHS and airport officials didn't elaborate on the agents' duties.

Inside the airport: On Monday morning, ICE agents gathered in groups in the garage and terminal.

• They wore vests that identified them as federal agents but not the masks or hats that were common during their previous effort in New Orleans.
• Airport staffers directed travelers from the ticketing counters through the garage elevators down to baggage claim, where the security line began.
• "Good morning!" one employee said to a crowd. "Is it?" a traveler responded as he hauled his luggage into an hourslong line.

Water main breaks

Moreno told Axios she thinks residents won't see the urgency they need with the Sewerage & Water Board of New Orleans until city officials have more oversight of the state utility.

• Moreno and City Council members support a proposed bill that would reform SWBNO and give it more accountability to the city.

The latest: City Council members grilled SWBNO leaders about the utility's proposed plan last week.

• The plan outlines eight "mission critical" projects for stabilizing the city's drinking water system. Emergency repairs will "likely take several months" to finish, SWBNO says.
• "The math ain't mathin'," Councilmember Jason Hughes said about the cost estimates, according to Gambit's Kaylee Poche.
• See the highlight reel.
• City leaders are talking about stormwater management fees and parcel fees to fund the improvements.

Meanwhile, New Orleans recently had another water main break Uptown. This time it was at Jeannette and Joliet streets, Fox 8 says.

Fiscal situation

The city could run out of cash as early as next month unless more cost-cutting and revenue measures are implemented, chief administrative officer Joe Giarrusso warned City Council last week.

• Last-resort options include using the $35 million rainy-day fund and expanding furloughs and layoffs, he said, according to the official meeting recap.
• The city's finances are doubly squeezed because payments are due on the emergency loan it took out earlier this year to pay employees. Moreno previously said her administration anticipates taking out another loan this summer to help solve the fiscal crisis she inherited.
• City officials also are counting on one-time payments from SWBNO, the Wisner Trust Fund and other sources to get through the next few months, reporter Blake Paterson writes for The Times-Picayune.