ICE’s impact on communities is clear. Whether it be Minneapolis, Chicago, Los Angeles or countless other American cities, ICE’s presence leads to violence within communities. And now, more than ever, ICE’s impact will reach McLean as agents are deployed to Dulles and Reagan airport.
ICE’s presence in airports is due to the partial government shutdown that is currently affecting the TSA, the federal government agency that normally manages security operations in airports. Since Feb. 14, TSA employees have not been paid, leading to severe staffing shortages and long security lines. And many TSA employees have begun to resign or call in sick. The administration hopes that ICE’s presence will assist the efficiency of airports, filling in the gap left.
But it is doubtful that ICE’s presence will even make a difference. The Metropolitan Washington Airport Authority, which operates Dulles, confirmed that the airport has not experienced any major operational changes or increased security wait times, even before ICE was present. In fact, the only major delay at Dulles was on Mar. 14—the result of a chemical smell that led to safety concerns.
In addition, ICE’s deployment in Dulles and Reagan airport will inevitably lead to the tragedies that the nation has already seen. Like many of the cities targeted by ICE, a major part of Fairfax County’s identity are its diverse communities with large immigrant populations. In McLean, according to the Census Bureau, 25% of the population is foreign-born—more than 1.5 times the rate in the United States. In Herndon, near where Dulles airport is situated, that number is even higher at 42.2%. For many families around the area, ICE’s presence will generate intense fear.
According to a study conducted by UC Merced, private-sector employment across the entire state of California declined after ICE operations in June 2025. Local businesses also suffered greatly, with certain restaurant owners reporting a near 40% drop in sales as immigrant customers cabined themselves at home.
ICE’s deployment will also have a pernicious impact on local law enforcement. Police departments in Fairfax and neighboring counties already have a poor relationship with ICE; in January, Arlington County officials went as far as advising residents to call 911 if they witnessed ICE operations in their neighborhoods. The presence of ICE, even if just confined to airports, will lead to interactions with local officers, who frequently patrol airports as well.
Not only that, but ICE will damage the relationships that local law enforcement has built up with communities. In Fairfax’s immigrant heavy communities, officials rely on their trust to report crimes and cooperate with investigations. It is easy for the lines between federal and county-level law enforcement to blur, making the area less safe if residents are afraid to call for help.
This is not an unfounded concern: Tom Homan, the administration’s chief immigration official, has stated that ICE will continue to serve an enforcement function and target criminal activity. Given ICE’s track record, it is not a stretch to say that they will be conducting harsh immigration operations.
It is also likely that the local community will protest. When that happens, even if police departments are not allowed to cooperate with ICE, officers will be inexorably pulled into public order operations and extra patrols. The result? Higher bills for local agencies and even deeper mistrust of law enforcement. In Los Angeles, ICE’s operations cost the Los Angeles Police Department nearly $17 million a week to maintain peace.
The solution to the TSA’s current struggles does not lie with the use of ICE. Democratic lawmakers should consider proposals to direct funding from other areas of the government to, if nothing else, assist the livelihoods of TSA agents that are relatively uninvolved in immigration enforcement. And Congressional Republicans must concede that stricter guardrails are needed for ICE, allowing for a funding bill to pass. Ironically, the very reason why the partial shutdown began in the first place was public outrage over the deaths of Alex Pretti and Renee Good—citizens that were shot by ICE.
