TSA chaos hits California — as Gavin Newsom issues damning statement on ICE arrivals

California braced for a dramatic standoff as President Donald Trump plans to deploy ICE agents to major terminals to fill gaps left by TSA shortages amid the ongoing DHS shutdown.

“It comes as the Golden State braced for a dramatic standoff over President Donald Trump’s plans to deploy ICE agents to major terminals to fill gaps left by TSA agents”

California Post

Gov. Gavin Newsom called for the immigration unit to be reined in, and would not comment on what he would do if ICE officers are sent to California sites.

California Post

At San Diego International, passengers reported misery from 6:30 a.m. Sunday as check-in lines and departure boards stretched with delays, with photos showing hundreds of flyers at a standstill.

San Diego Rep. Scott Peters, posting on X, argued a bill to fund TSA workers, Coast Guard and emergency management should be passed without adding ICE and Border Patrol, while noting that Trump won't allow it.

Flight Aware maps show 174 delays at San Diego on Sunday and four cancellations across Delta, Alaska, and SkyWest.

San Diego airport spokesman Nicole Hall attributed the disruption to the federal government shutdown and noted that checkpoint wait times and flight scheduling are subject to the operations of our federal and airline partners, while praising TSA, FAA and partner airlines for maintaining safety amid the strain.

California Post

Other major California hubs faced cancellations, with 37 flights late out of Los Angeles as of Sunday night and 31 delayed out of San Francisco.

LAX, in particular, tended to suffer less TSA chaos due to better infrastructure inside the terminals, more investment, and 30 automated screening lanes.

The worst impacted airports across the country were Atlanta's Hartfield-Jackson Airport, Houston, New York hubs and Philadelphia.

Data released Sunday showed more than 3,250 TSA officers called out nationwide on Saturday — the worst absentee rate since the partial Homeland Security shutdown began, representing 11.51% of the scheduled workforce.

Despite the disruptions, LAX lines were described as smoother in some areas, with travelers commenting on the broader situation.

President Donald Trump announced via Truth Social that ICE would go to airports to assist TSA workers who stayed on the job, while Gov. Gavin Newsom blasted the plan as deploying his 'personal police force' and vowed to rein in ICE, though he did not specify California's response if agents arrive.

“It comes as the Golden State braced for a dramatic standoff over President Donald Trump’s plans to deploy ICE agents to major terminals to fill gaps left by TSA agents”

California Post

In San Diego, TSA leadership denounced the deployment as 'ridiculous,' with airport officials such as Robert Mack saying they do not want ICE near the checkpoint, and Aaron Vazquez adding that he did not understand what help was needed if it was not people who could screen passengers.

Tom Homan, the White House border czar, argued that some security tasks could be moved from TSA to ICE to speed lines, and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warned that more TSA agents could quit or not show up in coming days.

With ICE deployment looming, officials warned that the disruption could worsen as federal moves could create bottlenecks at security checkpoints.

The disruption comes amid a DHS shutdown that is nearly 40 days old, with more than 3,250 TSA officers called out nationwide on Saturday, representing 11.51% of the scheduled workforce.

California Post

The worst impacted airports included Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson, Houston, New York hubs and Philadelphia, while California airports braced for further disruption even as LAX appeared comparatively smoother thanks to its infrastructure and automated screening lanes.

Sean Duffy warned that conditions could deteriorate through Thursday to Saturday of next week as more TSA workers quit or stay home.