Here is what you need to know in the March 23, 2023, Streamline newsletter:
The Trump administration has ordered ICE agents to airports across the U.S. to help shorten security lines as the partial government shutdown surpasses the 40-day mark.
Just as last week's heat wave comes to an end, another round of high temperatures is coming back to San Diego County. Max Goldwasser’s microclimate forecasts will help you get ready for this week’s warm weather.
In your consumer news, we’ve got details on the “Buy Nothing Project,” a global movement that is connecting people with the things they need for free.
WEEKEND WRAP-UP
THE STREAMLINE
WATCH — ABC 10News brings you The Streamline for Monday, March 23 -- everything you need to know in under 10 minutes:
TOP STORY
ICE agents were expected to begin handling some security duty at numerous U.S. airports Monday amid an ongoing partial government shutdown that has sidelined many Transportation Security Administration officers, with border czar Tom Homan in charge of the effort.
Federal officials said Sunday that border czar Tom Homan would be in charge of the effort to use immigration enforcement personnel to supplement security at airports amid the shutdown, which has left roughly 50,000 TSA employees working without pay, contributing to increased absenteeism and staffing shortages at airports nationwide.
Early Monday morning, ABC News — citing sources — published the following list of airports where ICE agents would be deployed:
- Chicago-O'Hare International Airport
- Cleveland Hopkins International Airport
- Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport
- Houston's William P. Hobby Airport
- Houston's Bush Intercontinental
- 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)
It was unknown if San Diego International Airport would be added to the list.
Meanwhile, some local officials balked at the Trump administration's announcement, including a top TSA official at San Diego International Airport.
"I have no idea how they can contribute at an airport unless it was for intimidation purposes," Aaron Vazquez, a TSA lead transportation security officer at SAN and assistant airport steward for the American Federation of Government Employees Local 1260 in San Diego, told City News Service on Sunday. "What are they going to do, find somebody and shoot them?"
Vazquez said his job is to make sure travelers are not a threat to security, which has nothing to do with immigration enforcement.
"I don't want them anywhere near the checkpoint and officers that I'm in charge of. I don't want them interfering with what the officers are trying to do," Vazquez told CNS.
"I don't need an ICE agent telling passengers what to do. We are trained to be nice to passengers. They are law enforcement so they are armed. TSA is not," he added.
City Councilwoman and Airport Authority Board Member Marni von Wilpert also objected to the idea.
"ICE's aggressive, abusive conduct makes us less safe. Putting ICE in our airports will make travel more chaotic, more stressful, and less secure -- not better," she said. "ICE has already shown it refuses to follow the law and respect our communities -- so I'm deeply concerned about what this deployment will mean for San Diego travelers and the thousands of workers at San Diego International Airport.
"... The solution to long security lines and airport delays is simple: Congress needs to properly fund and staff TSA now," von Wilpert added.
".. I have been in touch with San Diego Airport Authority staff and legal counsel. We do not yet know the full scope of ICE's plans at the airport, but we are working to get answers and minimize disruption and anxiety for travelers and our workforce."
Rep. Scott Peters, D-Poway, posted a photo of long lines at the airport on Sunday with the following message:
"View from the San Diego airport at 6:30 this morning. It doesn't have to be like this. I have a bill to pay TSA workers, Coast Guard and emergency management without adding more to ICE and Border Patrol. Easy, right? But Trump won't allow it. As the DHS shutdown drags into nearly 40 days, federal workers and travelers shouldn't have to suffer from Republican inaction."
Homan told CNN's "State of the Union" on Sunday that the effort was about "helping TSA do their mission and get the American public through that airport as quick as they can while adhering to all the security guidelines and the protocols."
"We're simply there to help TSA do their job in areas that don't need their specialized expertise, such as screening through the X-ray machine," he said. "Not trained in that? We won't do that. But there are roles we can play to release TSA officers from the non-significant roles, such as guarding an exit so they can get back to the scanning machines and move people quicker."
On Saturday, President Donald Trump said he would order ICE agents to assist with airport security if Congress did not immediately reach an agreement to fund TSA officers.
In a social media post, Trump said ICE agents could also be tasked with making immigration arrests at airports.
"If the radical left Democrats don't immediately sign an agreement to let our country, in particular, our airports, be FREE and SAFE again, I will move our brilliant and patriotic ICE agents to the airports where they will do security like no one has ever seen before," Trump wrote on Truth Social.
The proposal comes as a partial government shutdown has left roughly 50,000 TSA employees working without pay, contributing to increased absenteeism and staffing shortages at airports nationwide.
Administration officials said about 10% of TSA workers failed to report for duty on some recent days, compared to typical rates of less than 2%.
"Officers have to take matters into their own hands and not come to work," Vazquez said. "They are stressed, they are coming to me saying `what can I do?' They can't afford gas to get to work."
The usual un-planned absence call-out before the shutdown was about 20 officers per day in San Diego. Now there are about 70 to 80 officers per day who are not going to work, according to Vazquez.
"They (ICE agents) can monitor traffic of the passengers to make sure they don't get out of line or go through the stanchions," Vazquez said. "I don't understand what we need help with if it's not people that are able to screen the passengers."
Meanwhile, travelers are being warned to expected delays. The San Diego County Regional Airport Authority issued a travel advisory Sunday for passengers traveling out of the city's airport.
"Passengers traveling out of San Diego International Airport are encouraged to check their flight status before coming to SAN and plan to arrive at least two hours before their flight," airport spokeswoman Nicole Hall said Sunday, the second day the airport was experiencing delays.
"Checkpoint wait times and flight scheduling are subject to the operations of our federal and airline partners. These operations are, at times, affected by the federal government shutdown."
Hall said an influx of seasonal spring break travelers was also affecting wait times, which could take up to one hour during a "fluid situation."
"We appreciate the ongoing commitment from TSA, FAA, and our partner airlines to maintain the safety and reliability of the national transportation system during this challenging time," Hall said. "Our focus remains on ensuring a safe and efficient airport experience."
Travelers to SAN were encouraged to plan ahead and arrive two hours before domestic flights and three hours prior to international departures.
Travelers can check flight status updates at https://www.san.org/Flights/Flight-Status.
The average wait time is about 20 minutes to get through airport security at SAN when fully staffed with a maximum wait time of 30 minutes, but some wait times on Saturday were up to an "unheard of" 80 minutes, according to Vazquez, who said "Saturdays are usually chill."
Before the shutdown, about 500 to 550 officers were available to screen each day in San Diego.
Story by City News Service
MICROCLIMATE FORECASTS
Coasts
Inland
Mountains
Deserts
BREAKING OVERNIGHT
President Trump on Monday morning announced he is ordering the postponement of airstrikes on Iran’s energy facilities because of what he cited as “very good and productive” talks with Iranian leadership to end the war.
The president said the pause would last five days; several days ago, Trump set a deadline for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz or the U.S. would “obliterate” Iranian power plants.
In response, Iran issued its own threat of laying mines across the entire Persian Gulf.
CONSUMER
An online platform is helping people turn to their neighbors instead of stores for all sorts of items — for free!
WATCH — Consumer reporter Marie Coronel explains how the “Buy Nothing Project” is not only connecting community members, but also saving them money:
WE FOLLOW THROUGH
The escalating conflict in the Middle East is driving up fuel prices nationwide, and in the North County, several Oceanside gas stations have already surged past the six‑dollar mark.
AAA reports that the average price for a gallon of regular gas in San Diego County has climbed to $5.86 — up $1.20 from this time last year. Meanwhile, the national average is creeping closer to $4.
WATCH — Reporter Jane Kim spoke with some San Marcos residents who are finding ways to cope with the higher costs cutting into their budgets:
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