Troop Deployments and Travel Delays: The Week in Review | U.S. News Decision Points

The war with Iran continues and gun-toting immigration agents are patrolling backed-up American airports, but at least it’s finally spring. I’m Sidney Slon, and here’s the week in review.

After President Donald Trump announced over the weekend he would deploy Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to airports, Olivier speculated on what that would look like and why they were sent in the first place.

The short answer? It’s the result of a partial government shutdown that began Jan. 31, which centered around disagreements over ICE’s tactics. As a result,Transportation Security Administration agents have not been paid for nearly two months. Many have stopped showing up to work, resigned or retired, leaving airports desperate for staffing as checkpoint lines have grown longer during peak travel season.

Enter ICE agents, who have stepped in to help with jobs that don’t require “specialized expertise,” according to border czar Tom Homan. This includes tasks like guarding exits, although an official with the union representing TSA agents said, “it doesn’t seem like a lot of help.”

On Tuesday, Olivier checked in on the ongoing U.S.-Israeli war with Iran.

As the conflict entered its fourth week, Olivier had four questions. One was were the U.S. and Iran actually negotiating a peace deal, as Trump said Monday? Iranian officials took to social media to dispute that claim, calling it “fake news … used to manipulate the financial and oil markets.”

Trump also announced Monday he would hold off on his vow to “obliterate” Iran’s power plants for a few days as the two sides negotiated, and today he pushed his deadline on that threat to April 7.

Meanwhile, the U.S. ordered more Marines to the region, and Iran has shown no sign of running out of munitions, so tensions remain high.

With less than two months until the World Cup, Olivier discussed risks and uncertainties for travelers coming to the U.S. to watch the games live.

The Trump administration has hardly rolled out the red carpet for foreign visitors. For one, the Iran war has caused security concerns beyond those typical of large events, as well as higher travel prices due largely to increasing fuel costs.

There are other costs too. A consumer group is suing over tickets that are seven times the cost of similar tickets at the 2022 World Cup, and starting April 2, travelers from 50 countries will need to post a refundable $15,000 bond for a U.S. visa. Plus, travelers from countries that don’t require a visa – a list that includes many soccer-crazy countries and U.S. allies – may have to disclose their past five years of social media activity and have their fingerprints and irises scanned. Then there’s the risk of ICE activity around World Cup venues, which could deter some fans.

To round out the week, Olivier turned his sights stateside for a roundup of news that didn’t make national headlines: