What A Day: “What Is ICE Really Doing In Airports?”

Host: Jane Coaston
Date: March 24, 2026
Guest: Andrea Flores (former DHS official, Securing America's Promise)

Main Theme

This episode examines the recent deployment of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents to more than a dozen American airports during a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) funding shutdown. Host Jane Coaston investigates the real motives behind this move, its impact on airport security and travelers, the conflation of immigration enforcement with TSA duties, and the broader political maneuvering underpinning these decisions.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Background: Why is ICE at Airports?

• DHS Shutdown Fallout: The ongoing DHS shutdown, stemming from a budget standoff in Congress, has left TSA agents unpaid and airport security lines massively delayed.
  • “ICE agents arrived in airports across the country on Monday, reportedly to help TSA agents...” (03:06)
• Trump Administration’s Move: President Trump directed ICE to "help" at airports, citing an idea floated on a conservative radio call-in show, then promoted on Fox News:
  • “It’s not a good sign when the Trump administration is getting policy ideas from callers on conservative radio shows.” (02:07)
• Explicit Political Motivation: Trump’s public posts reveal the move is about targeting undocumented immigrants and retaliating against political opponents, not aiding travel.
  • “...everything to do with punishing, quote, radical left Democrats.” (02:18)

2. Guest Interview: Andrea Flores on the ICE–TSA Mashup

What is Actually Happening?

• Illogical Deployment: ICE and TSA have totally different missions and training. Placing ICE in TSA’s role isn’t helpful or effective.
  • “It’s just a big, distracting stunt that also is really, really scary for people who have seen ICE take the lives of US Citizens and round up their neighbors.” (03:26, Andrea Flores)
• No Clarity on Directions: Even insiders don’t know what ICE is being asked to do, other than a vague promise to “help” at airports.
  • “Nobody has any idea because Trump said they’re going to help. He also said they would be doing immigration enforcement.” (05:57, Andrea Flores)
• No Relevant Training: ICE agents lack TSA’s knowledge of airport security protocols. They’re not equipped to make operations smoother.
  • “There is absolutely zero training that is applicable to helping people move through the airport in a safe way that ICE agents receive.” (05:57, Andrea Flores)

Political & Social Impact

• Purpose is Intimidation: ICE presence, particularly targeting people of color and immigrants, creates fear and confusion rather than efficiency.
  • “...there are millions of people of color, Latinos, who go through, and they still have a right in that role to ask people about their immigration status.” (06:40, Andrea Flores)
• Potential for Dangerous Outcomes: Flores warns that public confusion, armed officers, and long lines are a recipe for harmful enforcement.
  • “Crowds, long lines, confusion about authorities, law enforcement, armed officers. These are not good elements historically in our country at all.” (07:35, Andrea Flores)
• Democratic Unity: Noteworthy political development: Democrats are more united than ever in demanding ICE funding be reconsidered, forcing Republicans into a negotiating corner.
  • “Democrats, I’m going to say, have been surprisingly united in this plan to single out ICE funding.” (08:48, Andrea Flores)

Normalization of Abusive Tactics

• Slippery Slope to Broader Enforcement: ICE’s expanded presence could normalize aggressive immigration enforcement, even for people playing by the rules.
  • “There’s a normalization happening with some of these immigration enforcement tactics... he is doing two things. He’s targeting undocumented immigrants... But he’s also growing the undocumented population by essentially saying it doesn’t matter if you played by the rules.” (09:32–10:15, Andrea Flores)
• Threats to Legal Immigration: Cases before the Supreme Court could further curtail immigration protections and legal status for many.
  • “We have the birthright citizenship case in the Supreme Court. Will Trump successfully end birthright citizenship?” (10:38, Andrea Flores)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Policy by Talk Radio:
  “It’s not a good sign when the Trump administration is getting policy ideas from callers on conservative radio shows.”
  — Jane Coaston (02:07)
• On ICE’s Utility in Airports:
  “It’s so ridiculous to think that ICE would have any help right now in terms of the airport wait times we’ve been seeing.”
  — Andrea Flores (03:26)
• On Political Motivation:
  “He wrote in part, I will move our brilliant and patriotic ICE agents to the airports where they will do security like no one has ever seen before including the immediate arrest of all illegal immigrants... with a heavy emphasis on those from Somalia.”
  — Quoting Trump, Jane Coaston (02:25–02:35)
• On the Slippery Slope:
  “I think there’s a normalization happening with some of these immigration enforcement tactics. And so I’m watching for how it changes and how the disappearance of our neighbors and the tactics get quieter but even more effective and bigger.”
  — Andrea Flores (09:32)

Key Timestamps

• 01:06–01:21: DHS shutdown context; ICE sent to airports
• 02:07: Trump policy inspired by a conservative talk show caller
• 03:04–11:33: Full interview with Andrea Flores on ICE’s role at airports
• 05:57: Flores on how no one has any idea what ICE’s orders really are
• 06:40–07:35: Discussion of fear and confusion for travelers caused by ICE
• 08:48: Flores on surprising Democratic unity regarding ICE
• 09:32–11:28: The normalization of aggressive immigration tactics and the legal implications for immigrants

Additional Headlines (Brief Mentions)

• Iran Negotiations & Market Manipulation:
  Trump’s public claims about talks with Iran allegedly shift oil and stock markets for political/economic leverage. (16:00–18:41)
• Supreme Court on Mail-in Voting:
  The conservative majority appears poised to restrict counting of mail ballots, with potential large-scale impact on access to voting. Rep. Jamie Raskin weighs in. (18:58–21:26)
• Meta (Facebook) Lawsuit:
  Jury deliberates on whether Meta misled users about youth safety and engagement on its platforms. (21:42–22:26)

Overall Tone & Takeaway

The episode is sharply critical, fact-focused, and darkly witty, with Jane and Andrea using both expertise and a healthy level of incredulity to dissect the administration’s maneuvers. The insertion of ICE into airports is exposed as a political tactic designed to intimidate and distract rather than solve genuine security problems—a move that, if normalized, could have lasting negative impacts on immigration policy and civil liberties.

“What a Day is about cutting through the noise. And today’s noise is, quite literally, ICE agents standing awkwardly at airport terminals while America’s immigration debate reaches a fever pitch.”