Federal immigration agents seen at Atlanta airport after Trump order amid during partial shutdown

Some fear the move to deploy federal immigration agents will only escalate tensions. "This latest threat of ICE invasion at the airports is another distraction from solutions that protect Americans," a coalition of unions representing flight attendants and other workers -- including the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA and International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers -- said in a Sunday statement. Transportation security officers "can't simply be replaced" by federal immigration officers, they noted, adding that ICE's presence and potential attempts to question passengers about immigration status may also "distract them from ensuring airport security."