Due to the delay of Congressional funding, the United States Department of homeland security employees have been“Volunteer” for more than a month, many public security jobs have a large-scale“Exodus”. This past weekend, Major U. S. airports were in chaos, with security lines that stretched for hours at a time. In response, President Donald Trump plans to move federal agents from immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) into airports to fill TSA vacancies, this“Professional mismatch” of expediency has caused a lot of controversy and panic once it was revealed.
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The hiring process for TSA takes an average of 90 days, with weeks to months of on-the-job training after a successful application, CNN reported Wednesday. Trump asked ICE to make a work plan the same day she was hired and start the next day. U. S. Border Affairs Director Horman confirmed to CNN, ICE 23, some law enforcement officers from the daily post to the airport, but they“Will not do untrained work,” such as checking the airport X-ray machine. Their main task is to“Provide security”, such as guarding airport entrances and exits.
The United States Department of Homeland Security has been in a state of shutdown since last month 14, the agency’s Transportation Security Administration, the United States Secret Service and the Coast Guard tens of thousands of employees have not been paid for more than a month. The reason for this is that Democrats have demanded that the Trump administration undertake large-scale reforms to federal immigration enforcement operations, or else it will not pass the United States Department of Homeland Security Budget. The two sides have been deadlocked ever since.
Affected by the shutdown and unpaid wages, morale in various units of the United States Department of Homeland Security is low. Among them, at least 376 people have left their posts in just one month, many key security positions, especially at major U.S. airports, have recently seen absenteeism rates double. The Associated Press reported, for example, that the absenteeism rate at New York’s Kennedy International Airport reached 29% , and at Houston’s George W. Bush Intercontinental Airport was 33% , at one of the world’s busiest airports, Hartsfield ? Jackson Atlanta International Airport, the absenteeism rate recently climbed to 38 per cent. According to the media, many TSA employees have recently had to work odd jobs to supplement their income. Some can’t even afford medical treatment, and even rely on supplies donated by the airport.
The loss of staff has seriously affected the efficiency of commuting at airports. At the Atlanta International Airport, only 2 TSA officers were checking passengers’ documents at noon Monday. The security check waiting time reached an astonishing 6 hours. Many passengers missed their flights and had to change their visas temporarily. The wait at New York’s laguardia Airport was also more than three hours, with many finding themselves needing to go to another airport to board their flights only after changing their visas. CNN said at least four major airports across the U. S. stopped posting waiting times over the weekend, with travelers exclaiming, “I’ve never seen anything like this in my life.”.
While members of Congress are hoping to reach a funding deal before the Easter recess, market forecasters are not optimistic. Republican Senator John Murkos says the immediate problem is to quickly pay TSA workers. Pelosi, the former president of the Chamber of Deputies of Tunisia, criticized the“Deployment of ICE is simply wrong” because ICE law enforcement officers have never been trained for the job. The United States Department of Transportation said TSA should pay salaries on the 27th of this month, if again not pay will only lead to more employees leave, then the United States small airports may be directly closed.
Meanwhile, the Troubled Department of Homeland Security May soon have a new secretary. On the 22nd, the Senate voted on the nomination of Secretary of State candidate Mark Wayne Mallin. The final vote was 54 to 37, ending this procedural link. A confirmation vote is expected to be held in the coming days. U. S. CBS said the vote was basically to follow the party line of the“Line vote”, only two Democrats voted in favor.