Atlanta (AFP) — The United States immigration agency at the center of a firestorm over heavy-handed enforcement tactics began deploying Monday to major airports, as officials scrambled to ease mounting travel disruption during a prolonged, partial government shutdown.

The move places Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) personnel — already under intense scrutiny after fatal shootings linked to immigration operations — in highly visible roles at crowded transport hubs across the country.

Officials say the agents are being sent to at least 14 airports, including in New York, Chicago and Atlanta, to assist overstretched Transportation Security Administration (TSA) staff, many of whom have gone weeks without full pay.

The agents will not conduct passenger screening but are expected to handle support roles such as monitoring exits and managing logistics, allowing TSA officers to focus on security checks.

The deployment comes as airports struggle with long delays during a busy travel period for the spring break, with some passengers reporting waits of several hours.