Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner threatened to prosecute federal ICE agents assisting TSA at Philadelphia International Airport amid the DHS shutdown, stating at a March 24 press conference that local laws apply regardless of federal pardons.
Following President Trump's deployment of ICE agents to over a dozen U.S. airports starting March 23 to address TSA staffing shortages from the ongoing partial DHS shutdown, Philadelphia DA Larry Krasner held a press conference Tuesday at Philadelphia International Airport. Krasner warned agents: 'You commit crimes within the jurisdiction that is the city and county of Philadelphia, I prosecute you... And yes, I will put you in handcuffs, and I will put you in a courtroom, and if necessary I will put you in a jail cell.' He emphasized presidential pardons do not apply locally and cautioned against excessive force, referencing Minneapolis incidents: 'If you decide to make the terrazzo floor of this airport anything like what you did in the streets of Minneapolis... we are not having that here.'
TSA has faced high absenteeism, with over 3,450 officers (11.76%) calling out sick on one recent Sunday and more than 450 quitting since the shutdown began in mid-February. TSA Acting Administrator Ha Nguyen McNeill noted the ICE support for non-specialized screening has been helpful. At Houston's George Bush Intercontinental Airport, ICE agents aided with water distribution and line holding amid four-hour waits.
Other reactions include New York City statements against ICE at airports and a legal hotline for immigrants; protests by about 60 demonstrators chanting 'ICE OUT' at Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson; and warnings from Democratic lawmakers like Sen. Richard Blumenthal and Rep. Hakeem Jeffries about potential escalations.
