CLAYTON COUNTY, Ga. — Lines of people stretched out the door of the world’s busiest airport Monday afternoon, as they waited to go through security.
Channel 2’s Candace McCowan reported the wait times dwindled to under an hour later in the day, after people in the morning waited four or more hours to make it through.
At least one person said they spent nine hours in line starting Sunday evening. The airport is still recommending people arrive four hours before their flight to allow enough time to get on board.
Federal agents, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers, arrived at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport to assist TSA with the long lines.
Several agents wearing vests with police and ICE labels could be seen in security areas Monday.
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ICE agents are there to assist with crowd control in front of security checkpoints, according to an email sent to TSA staff.
People are being told to arrive early and expect waits of four hours or longer to make their way to the gates.
The Department of Homeland Security announced Sunday that it would send federal agents to the airports seeing the worst lines with the ongoing partial government shut down.
TSA workers haven’t seen a paycheck in three weeks now as the partial government shutdown continues. And the Atlanta airport says around 30 to 40% of agents have called out in the past few days.
ABC News reports that federal immigration officers will be at the following airports. The list is subject to change, according to ABC News source.
- Chicago-O’Hare International Airport
- Cleveland Hopkins International Airport
- Houston’s William P. Hobby Airport
- Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport
- John F. Kennedy International Airport (New York)
- LaGuardia Airport (New York)
- Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport
- Luis Munoz Marin International Airport (San Juan, Puerto Rico)
- Newark Liberty International Airport
- Philadelphia International Airport
- Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport
- Pittsburgh International Airport
- Southwest Florida International Airport (Fort Myers, Florida)
RELATED STORIES
- Travelers waiting for hours in TSA security lines are missing flights
- Federal immigration agents to deploy to Hartsfield-Jackson Monday, Atlanta mayor says
- Enhanced role for immigration officers at US airports as shutdown frustrates travels and screeners
- Airport officials tell travelers to prepare for 3, 4 hour security waits, depending on destination
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