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MSP Airport avoids ICE officer deployment
Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport is bucking the national trend of long TSA wait times during the partial government shutdown. While hubs like Atlanta are seeing two-hour lines and relying on ICE agents to help with staffing shortages, MSP Airport reports its checkpoints are consistently taking less than 30 minutes—and sometimes under five.
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - As airports across the country deal with long security lines during the government shutdown, travelers at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport are seeing a much smoother experience.
Security lines at MSP remain short despite national delays
What we know:
ICE agents have been sent to help at security checkpoints in at least a dozen airports, but MSP is not among them.
The Metropolitan Airports Commission said, "The Metropolitan Airports Commission is not aware of any planned changes to security checkpoint staffing at MSP at this time."
Travelers at MSP are reporting wait times of less than five minutes, even during the busy spring break travel season.
"I think part of it’s the airports planning and some it is TSA for this area tries a little harder, I think," said Doug Button.
MSP officials say security lines have consistently stayed under 30 minutes, and there are no current plans for ICE agents to help out.
Travelers compare MSP to other airports facing delays
Why you should care:
While MSP has avoided major problems, travelers coming from or heading to other airports are seeing a different story.
Tiffany Pope, who flew in from Phoenix, Ariz., said, "We haven’t hit any lines. No."
Even though Phoenix is getting federal help, her family did not experience delays.
"It didn’t seem like it needed it? No, uh uh. Yeah," said Tiffany.
In contrast, some airports like Atlanta are facing much longer waits. Ronesha Strickland described her experience arriving from Atlanta, where she waited two hours in line despite having TSA PreCheck.
"It’s unfortunate because when I got up to the front it was only two TSA workers, literally, and one was running two different lines, so it was pretty unfortunate to see," said Strickland.
Some travelers have seen ICE agents at other airports but question their role.
"I gotta be blunt, I didn’t see them doing anything. They were just standing there, like I didn’t see them actually doing anything, but I feel like they can’t technically do anything because they don’t have the right training," said Strickland.
The backstory:
The partial government shutdown has led to TSA agents working without pay, causing high numbers of sick calls and long lines at airports like Atlanta. MSP’s planning and staffing appear to be helping it avoid the same issues.
What we don't know:
It is still unclear if MSP could see changes to security staffing if the shutdown continues or if ICE agents might be deployed in the future.
The Source: FOX 9’s Rob Olson reported live from Terminal One at MSP and spoke with travelers for this story.