What NC travelers need to know about ICE at RDU, CLT airports
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- ICE deployed to some airports amid a partial shutdown and staffing gaps.
- TSA requires ID and should not ask about citizenship or political/religious beliefs.
- Everyone has right to silence and counsel; immigrants should carry passport/status proof.
United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents have deployed to some airports facing staffing shortages during the middle of a partial government shutdown, prompting questions about people’s rights at airports.
The partial government shutdown began on Saturday, Feb. 14, affecting the Department of Homeland Security after some federal leaders voted to not fund the department until reforms were made to the immigration agency, after ICE agents shot and killed American citizens earlier this year, NPR reported.
Transportation Security Administration employees are required to work through the shutdown without pay, though on Thursday, March 26, President Donald Trump said he’d sign an order to pay TSA agents, AP reported.
“Never in our history has a president deployed armed agents to the airport to inspire fear among families,” said Naureen Shah, director of policy and government affairs for immigration at the ACLU, in a statement. “... America’s families travelling to see loved ones should not have to deal with ICE agents who likely have no training or experience with the mission of airport security.”
Are ICE agents deployed to NC airports?
No, not as of Wednesday, March 25.
Airport and union officials both said it did not appear that federal ICE agents were being sent to the Raleigh-Durham International Airport to help with security, The News & Observer reported. Wait times for TSA have been normal, and employee absenteeism has not been a big problem, according to Nina Szlosberg-Landis, vice chair of the Airport Authority board.
ICE agents weren’t at Charlotte Douglas International Airport either, and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security didn’t say whether it would consider sending agents to the airport, The Charlotte Observer reported.
The Triangle and Charlotte were part of an immigration enforcement operation called Charlotte’s Web that resulted in at least 370 arrests last fall.
What should US citizens know?
TSA agents should not ask about a person’s citizenship, but do require a person to show a valid form of identification, said Yesenia Polanco, an immigration attorney based in Durham.
“I can understand people’s fear, both immigrants and non-immigrants, because we have seen the violation of just fundamental constitutional rights of both citizens and non-citizens in our streets by ICE,” she said.
According to the American Civil Liberties Union of North Carolina, citizens:
- Can’t be stopped for a personal search or inspection based on a person’s religion, race, national origin, gender, ethnicity or political beliefs.
- Don’t have to answer questions about their religious beliefs or political opinions.
- Only need to answer questions establishing their identity and citizenship.
- Can’t be denied entry to the United States for refusing to provide passwords or unlocking devices.
What should others know?
Lawful permanent residents, like green-card holders, should carry proof of documentation, Polanco said.
“For immigrants, they really need to carry a passport, their visa, their proof of their status,” she said. “That’s just have that obligation now especially in these times. Maybe they wouldn’t have carried it in the past when they traveled, but that this point they really need to.”
Everyone in the United States has the right to remain silent and to seek an attorney, Polanco said, stressed people not escalate tensions with law enforcement.
“Understanding that, yes, you have rights, and you should advocate for your rights, but you should not do so in a manner that would eseclate a situation to where individuals could be harmed.”
The people likely at highest risk of being detained are people with final orders of deportation and those traveling with those individuals, she said.
This story was originally published March 27, 2026 at 10:09 AM.
