ICE Agents Deploy to U.S. Airports for First Day Assisting TSA Officers

As delays mount at airports across the country, President Trump has sent Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to aid Transportation Security Administration officers in keeping the long lines moving amid the partial government shutdown.

Check out the pics ... officers touched down at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport, above, as weary travelers shuffled through airport security.

And more agents looked over the shoulders of TSA officers at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, as lines were extending out the door.

As you know ... travel has been an absolute nightmare lately, with some fliers reporting wait times of up to three hours just to get through security.

Trump announced the deployment of ICE officers in a social media post Sunday, writing, "On Monday, ICE will be going to airports to help our wonderful TSA Agents who have stayed on the job."

The partial shutdown comes as Dems and Republicans are in a gridlock over funding for the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees TSA. Dems demand DHS change its immigration enforcement policies following the deaths that occurred after ICE agents were deployed into American cities ... while Republicans have said "no thanks" to Democrats' offer to pass funding only for the non-immigration enforcement parts of DHS, including TSA.

ICE has its own separate funding and is not affected by the current shutdown.

Worth noting ... TSA officers are specially trained for airport security -- ICE agents aren't. It's unclear how well they'll adapt to their new roles.