(WBEN) - There's new urgency in Washington to reach a deal to fund the Department of Homeland Security and pay TSA agents as some travelers are now arriving up to seven hours early in order to catch their flights.
It hasn't hit Buffalo yet, but the chaos at airports across the country created by the partial government shutdown has people noticing.
"The airports are a disaster," said local Immigration Attorney Rosanna Berardi. "Congress needs to get this together immediately. This is not acceptable in America for federal workers to not be paid for the services they're providing."
TSA agents have had their salaries held up since mid-February because the department is currently not being funded.
In response, the President has sent in ICE agents to help at Major Airports. That caught the attention of Berardi, who told WBEN it does give flyers something to think about.
"They can indeed ask any passenger about their immigration status, where they're going, what they're doing," Berardi said. "They have very broad rights and scope in an airport because they have a lot of authority under the immigration law."
Berardi though doesn't think agents will be doing much at airports, and are there more to repair the image of the agency. Though, visitors or foreign nationals under student visas or work permits can be compelled to provide documentation to ICE officers.
United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby is among those lobbying lawmakers in Washington Wednesday to quickly find a solution to re-staff the TSA.
ICE agents have been deployed to the busiest airports across the nation to help with crowds. What else are they doing? We asked immigration attorney Rosanna Berardi (@BerardiSpeaks) about the scope of their job and what questions her office is getting. https://t.co/9KqDtteKR8
— WBEN NewsRadio 930AM (@WBEN) March 25, 2026
