10 NFL Teams With The Most Loyal Fanbases

Most of us grew up watching the NFL in some form, usually because Sunday afternoons meant a game was on in the living room, Thanksgiving included football before dinner, and the playoffs required clearing your schedule so you would not miss kickoff.

At some point, you picked a team, and that choice became part of how you experienced every season after that. It might have come from family, geography, or a player you enjoyed watching. In any case, you started following that team, and for certain fanbases, that commitment never weakens.

Green Bay Packers

Credit: Wikimedia Commons

The waiting list for season tickets stretches for decades, which says plenty about commitment in Green Bay. The Packers operate as the NFL's only community-owned club, and that has created a rare bond between the organization and residents. Fans shovel seats before kickoff and celebrate touchdowns with the Lambeau Leap.

Philadelphia Eagles

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Intensity defines the atmosphere at Lincoln Financial Field, as Eagles supporters respond loudly to every series and do not hide their frustration when standards slip. The team secured its first Super Bowl title in 2018, and the parade drew massive crowds across Philadelphia. "Fly, Eagles, Fly" echoes after touchdowns and reinforces a shared identity.

Buffalo Bills

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Even though the Bills lost four straight Super Bowls in the early 1990s, their fans never pulled back. The franchise then endured a 17-season playoff drought, but attendance in western New York remained consistent. Highmark Stadium still fills during freezing lake-effect snowstorms, and tailgates begin hours before the opening whistle, regardless of the standings.

Pittsburgh Steelers

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In 1975, Steelers broadcaster Myron Cope introduced the Terrible Towel, a bright yellow rally towel that fans wave during big moments to energize the team and the stadium. Decades later, thousands of towels still spin in unison at Acrisure Stadium, and that ritual has continued through coaching changes, roster turnover, and different competitive eras, which shows how seriously Pittsburgh takes its traditions.

Dallas Cowboys

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National reach separates this club from most others in the league. Cowboys fans fill stadiums across the country, and many road games feature visible sections of navy and silver. That traveling support mostly reduces the usual home-field advantage for opposing teams.

Seattle Seahawks

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After the NBA's SuperSonics left Seattle, many residents concentrated their sports loyalty on the Seahawks. Fans refer to themselves as the "12s," which signals their role as active participants in games. Lumen Field, the Seahawks' home stadium, developed a reputation as one of the loudest venues in the league, and visiting offenses frequently struggle with communication there.

Chicago Bears

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There aren't many programs that carry as much early league history as the Bears, who began play in 1919. Matchups continue to be packed, despite extended struggles at quarterback in recent decades. Generational commitment keeps interest steady across eras, and Bears fans rarely abandon the team during seasons that fall short of playoff contention.

Cleveland Browns

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When ownership moved this club to Baltimore in the mid-1990s, Cleveland fans protested and demanded that the team's history remain tied to their city. The Browns reentered the league in 1999 as an expansion franchise and retained their past records and identity. The fight strengthened the bond between the team and the community.

Minnesota Vikings

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If you ever visit U.S. Bank Stadium during a Vikings home game, you will see how organized and unified the support can be. Before game time, the crowd joins together for the "Skol" chant to create a coordinated rhythm that fills the entire building, and even the cold Midwest winters fail to dampen that energy.

San Francisco 49ers

Credit: Wikimedia Commons

Five Super Bowl titles established a powerful national reputation for the San Francisco 49ers. The franchise moved through multiple roster eras, but attendance has never wavered. Historic figures such as Joe Montana helped shape long-term loyalty, and modern contenders keep interest high.

byCosmopolite

in

March 23, 2026

10 NFL Teams With The Most Loyal Fanbases

Most of us grew up watching the NFL in some form, usually because Sunday afternoons meant a game was on in the living roo...

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The Pro Football Hall of Fame honors 3 assistant coaches with the award of excellence

CANTON, Ohio (AP) — Influential special teams coach Mike Westhoff, former San Francisco 49ers offensive line coach Bobb McKittrick and longtime defensive coach Ted Cottrell will be honored with the Pro Football Hall of Fame's Awards of Excellence for the 2026 class.

Hall of Fame Assistants Football

The Hall announced on Monday that the three assistants were picked as part of the fifth class for the Awards of Excellence who will be honored later this year.

Westhoff spent 33 seasons in the NFL, spending the majority of his career in charge of special teams with the Miami Dolphins and New York Jets.

McKittrick was the offensive line coach for 21 seasons with the 49ers, and was one of four coaches involved with all five of the franchise's five Super Bowl titles. Bill Walsh brought McKittrick to San Francisco in 1979 and he played a key role in establishing a dynasty.

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Cottrell worked for six franchises over 24 seasons and is viewed as an innovator of the 3-4 defense. He helped develop several Hall of Famers, including Bruce Smith in Buffalo.

The Hall previously announced winners in three other categories with Scott Berchtold, Jim Gallagher and Lee Remmel picked as public relations directors; Red Batty, Mike Davidson and Jack Noel as equipment managers; and Edward "Abe" Abramoski, Kent Falb and Michael Ryan in the athletic trainers category.

The Hall will still announce the winners in film and video directors category for the ceremony in June.

AP NFL:https://apnews.com/NFL

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March 23, 2026

The Pro Football Hall of Fame honors 3 assistant coaches with the award of excellence

CANTON, Ohio (AP) — Influential special teams coach Mike Westhoff, former San Francisco 49ers offensive line coach Bobb M...

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Houston, Illinois carry strong opening-weekend efficiency in March Madness into Sweet 16 collision

Houston coach Kelvin Sampson wanted his Cougars simply to stick to what they do best in defending with their typical toughness to openMarch Madness. Illinois coach Brad Underwood hoped his team would "just let it rip."

NCAA VCU Illinois Basketball

They got what they wanted in the opening weekend of theNCAA Tournamentwhile posting the two most lopsided scoring margins of any teams to advance tothe Sweet 16.Now they will try those very different approaches against one another in a Thursday clash in Houston.

The second-seeded Cougars — who played in last year's national-title game — rolled to 31-point wins against bothIdahoandTexas A&M. That came while allowing just 0.839 points per possession (104 points on 124 possessions).

"Everybody's got a style," coach Kelvin Sampson said after the 88-57 win against the Aggies. "We have a style. Texas A&M has a style, but it doesn't come down to what you are doing vs. them. It's how you do what you do."

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Houston allowed the Vandals and Aggies to score on just 37.1% of their possessions, with those teams shooting a combined 31.5% while making 12 of 54 3-pointers (22.2%).

The third-seeded Illini had the second-largest scoring margin (plus-56) of the first weekend while averaging 1.382 points per possession (181 points on 131 possessions). Illinois scored on 60.3% of its possessions againstPennandVCU.

"We're 34 or 35 games in, whatever we're in, and there's not a lot we don't know," Underwood said. "I'm really glad to see us — I used the term before the tournament — 'just let it rip.' We've got to play that way, and we've got to play loose and we've got to play free."

Things figure to be tighter against the stingy Cougars and which team is the most successful doing what it does best will likely advance. Houston is a 3.5-point favorite, according to BetMGM Sportsbook.

Shooting the 3

Purdue is shooting the 3-pointer better than anyone heading tothe regional roundso far, whileAlabama continues firing from long rangeat a frenetic pace under Nate Oats.The Boilermakers made 22 of 38 3-pointers in wins againstQueensandMiami, good for 57.9% to lead all tournament teams. They were the only tournament team to make more than half their attempts while playing multiple games.In all, six Sweet 16 teams shot at least 40% from 3-point range in the tournament's opening weekend, including Michigan (46.8%, 22 of 47) and Michigan State (45.7%, 21 of 46).The Crimson Tide, meanwhile, leads all tournament teams with 31 made 3s through two rounds, at least five more than any other team. And Alabama's 78 attempted 3s were tied with 12-seed High Point — which upset Wisconsin before falling in a shootout to Arkansas — for the most in the tournament, at least eight more than any other team.Winning profiles and tiersGoing back to the 2001 tournament, 55 of 96 teams to reach the Final Four (57.3%) were ranked inside the top 25 in both adjusted offensive and defensive efficiency for KenPom entering March Madness, with 21 of those ranking in the top 10 at both ends.Slightly more than half of the remaining teams (21) ranked inside the top 10 at one end of the court to offset a ranking outside the top 25 in the other.That leaves 20 outliers that reached the sport's final weekend without holding top-10 status in at least one category.Looking at the three tiers of the 16 teams that will play this week:— Six favorites entered the tournament with top-25 rankings at both ends of the floor: 1-seeds Duke, Arizona and Michigan; and 2-seeds Houston, Iowa State and Michigan State. Of that group, the Blue Devils and Wildcats were top-5 in both categories.— Five teams ranked in the top 10 at one end of the court: 2-seed Purdue; 3-seed Illinois; and 4-seeds Alabama, Arkansas and Nebraska. The Huskers were the only one of that quintet to rank in the top 10 defensively.— The five outliers: 2-seed UConn, 5-seed St. John's, 6-seed Tennessee; 9-seed Iowa and 11-seed Texas. The Huskies are the surprise addition in this group after flirting with earning a No. 1 seed coming down the stretch, but they entered March Madness ranked 30th in offense (122.0 points per 100 possessions) and 11th in defense (94.1).___AP March Madness bracket:https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-mens-bracketand coverage:https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness

Purdue is shooting the 3-pointer better than anyone heading tothe regional roundso far, whileAlabama continues firing from long rangeat a frenetic pace under Nate Oats.

The Boilermakers made 22 of 38 3-pointers in wins againstQueensandMiami, good for 57.9% to lead all tournament teams. They were the only tournament team to make more than half their attempts while playing multiple games.

In all, six Sweet 16 teams shot at least 40% from 3-point range in the tournament's opening weekend, including Michigan (46.8%, 22 of 47) and Michigan State (45.7%, 21 of 46).

The Crimson Tide, meanwhile, leads all tournament teams with 31 made 3s through two rounds, at least five more than any other team. And Alabama's 78 attempted 3s were tied with 12-seed High Point — which upset Wisconsin before falling in a shootout to Arkansas — for the most in the tournament, at least eight more than any other team.

Winning profiles and tiers

Going back to the 2001 tournament, 55 of 96 teams to reach the Final Four (57.3%) were ranked inside the top 25 in both adjusted offensive and defensive efficiency for KenPom entering March Madness, with 21 of those ranking in the top 10 at both ends.

Slightly more than half of the remaining teams (21) ranked inside the top 10 at one end of the court to offset a ranking outside the top 25 in the other.

That leaves 20 outliers that reached the sport's final weekend without holding top-10 status in at least one category.

Looking at the three tiers of the 16 teams that will play this week:

— Six favorites entered the tournament with top-25 rankings at both ends of the floor: 1-seeds Duke, Arizona and Michigan; and 2-seeds Houston, Iowa State and Michigan State. Of that group, the Blue Devils and Wildcats were top-5 in both categories.

— Five teams ranked in the top 10 at one end of the court: 2-seed Purdue; 3-seed Illinois; and 4-seeds Alabama, Arkansas and Nebraska. The Huskers were the only one of that quintet to rank in the top 10 defensively.

— The five outliers: 2-seed UConn, 5-seed St. John's, 6-seed Tennessee; 9-seed Iowa and 11-seed Texas. The Huskies are the surprise addition in this group after flirting with earning a No. 1 seed coming down the stretch, but they entered March Madness ranked 30th in offense (122.0 points per 100 possessions) and 11th in defense (94.1).

AP March Madness bracket:https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-mens-bracketand coverage:https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness

byCosmopolite

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March 23, 2026

Houston, Illinois carry strong opening-weekend efficiency in March Madness into Sweet 16 collision

Houston coach Kelvin Sampson wanted his Cougars simply to stick to what they do best in defending with their typical toug...

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LaGuardia crash underscores pressures on already strained air traffic control workforce

Just before an Air Canadajet collided with an airport fire truck, air traffic controllers at New York's LaGuardia Airport were juggling a developing late night emergency on the runway.

LaGuardia Crash

A United Airlines flight had twice aborted takeoff and reported an odor coming from the back of the plane. But with no gate immediately available, the pilot and controllers went back and forth over the radio as controllers tried to reach the airline and find a safe spot to put the plane.Audio recordingscaptured the chaotic conversation as the cockpit conveyed growing urgency.

"Flight attendants in the back are feeling ill because of the odor," the pilot can be heard saying. "We will need to go into any available gate at this time."

With no place to park the aircraft, air traffic control dispatched fire trucks to go to the plane instead and offered stairs to evacuate passengers, all while continuing to manage other traffic. Then a frantic warning cut across the radio: "Stop, stop, stop, Truck 1. Stop, stop, stop."

Moments later, the Air Canada flight landed and crashed into one of the fire trucks as it crossed the runway toward the United aircraft. The pilot and co-pilot of theregional jet flying from Montrealwere killed.

A system under stress

The collisionlate Sunday is putting a renewed focus on the pressures facing air traffic controllers in the United States, a workforce that has long grappled with staffing shortages, demanding schedules, outdated equipment and the lingering effects of government shutdowns.

About 40 passengers and crew members on the Air Canada jet and the two people in the fire truck were taken to hospitals, some with serious injuries. Most were released by Monday morning, authorities said.

While investigators work to determine what led to the runway crash, aviation experts say the incident highlights the demanding environment controllers navigate every day — managing planes landing and taking off, aircraft moving between gates and runways, and service vehicles ranging from emergency responders to maintenance trucks.

"In the best of times, air traffic controls and air traffic controllers are under a great deal of stress," said Alan Diehl, a former federal crash investigator. "These are people with very high cognitive levels. They're carefully selected, extensively trained. And one of the problems is there is a shortage of 3,000 of them in this country right now."

At a news conference Monday, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, whose department oversees the Federal Aviation Administration, declined to say how many controllers were on duty at LaGuardia when the Canadian plane and the fire truck carrying Port Authority of New York and New Jersey police officers crossed paths. But he described the airport's tower as generally "well staffed" and just short of its target of 37 controllers. He said the airport currently has 33 controllers assigned to it, and seven more who are in training.

Duffy was confirmed as President Donald Trump's transportation secretary the day before an Army helicopter and a passenger plane collided over the Potomac River near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, killing 67 people. Since taking office, he has pledged to improve air controller staffing and to upgrade traffic control equipment.

A longstanding problem

The FAA has been chronically understaffed for years. Air traffic controllers routinely work overtime and six-day work weeks, while dealing with outdated equipment.

Former FAA air traffic control chief Mike McCormick said that while LaGuardia is "not a control tower that has perennial staffing problems," the overnight shift — when the crash occurred — would typically be staffed more lightly. Investigators were expected to examine how much overtime local controllers were working and how many consecutive days they had been on duty to determine whether fatigue could have played a role.

Those questions are standard after crashes. John Cox, CEO of aviation consulting firm Safety Operating Systems, said National Transportation Safety Board investigators would closely examine the human factors surrounding the tower's operations.

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"The staffing issue and the controller's work schedule will certainly be something that they look at and only then can we determine if it's a staffing or fatigue issue," Cox said.

In a statement Monday, the National Air Traffic Controllers Association emphasized the weight of the job.

"Air traffic controllers work every day to keep passengers and cargo moving safely and efficiently," the statement said. "We serve quietly, but moments like this remind us of the responsibility we carry — and how deeply it stays with us when tragedy occurs."

Roughly 20 minutes after the crash, a controller appears to blame himself.

"We were dealing with an emergency," he said, "and I messed up."

Modernizing the FAA

The strain on the workforcehas been building for years. During a record U.S. government shutdown last fall that lasted 43 days, and a 35-day shutdown that spanned December 2018 and January 2019, controllers were required to continue working without pay, pushing some to quit or retire early. At the same time, training and hiring for new recruits was halted or slowed.

Because certification can take years, experts, union leaders and agency officials have warned that the effects would linger long after funding resumed, compounding attrition and making recruitment more difficult. Shutdowns also diminish morale, Diehl said.

Since becoming

Still, industry officials emphasize that moves to modernize the technology and equipment air traffic controllers use underway. Chris Sununu, CEO of airline trade group Airlines for America, said Congress has invested billions of dollars to upgrade aging technology and improve the system.

"I think the air traffic control system has been under a lot of strain for 30 years," Sununu said. "And that's why Congress has put billions of dollars behind rebuilding the entire system. And we've already seen some pretty good successes."

He pointed to the transition away from paper flight progress strips to digital tools at many airports, along with the purchase of hundreds of new radar systems nationwide. A new traffic flow system with upgraded back-end technology is expected to roll out later this year, he said.

"By and large, the air traffic controllers work really, really well with a very antiquated system and every day that goes by the system is now getting upgraded," Sununu said.

Associated Press reporters Mae Anderson in New York and Holly Ramer in Concord, New Hampshire, contributed to this report.

byCosmopolite

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March 23, 2026

LaGuardia crash underscores pressures on already strained air traffic control workforce

Just before an Air Canadajet collided with an airport fire truck, air traffic controllers at New York's LaGuardia Air...

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Jessi Draper's husband seeks restraining order after filing for divorce

The legal conflict between"Secret Lives of Mormon Wives"starJessi Draperand herhusband Jordan Ngatikaurais escalating.

Ngatikaura, who also appearson the Hulu reality show, filed for divorce earlier this month. On Friday, March 20, he also reportedly filed a temporary restraining order against Draper.

Draper, for her part, filed an opposition to the temporary restraining order the same day,TMZandPeoplereport, based on court documents. USA TODAY has reached out to a representative for Draper for comment.

A representative for Ngatikaura was not immediately available at the time of publication.

Ngatikaura filed for a legal split from Draper on Thursday, March 19, perPeopleandTMZ.

The pair, who share two children − son, Jagger, 5, and daughter, Jovi, 3 − have been separated for a year. Their marital troubles were documented on the most recentseason of "Mormon Wives,"a runaway success thatpremiered on the streamerin 2024.

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"This has not been an easy decision and it comes with a heavy heart," Ngatikaura said in a statement to People at the time. "I'm grateful for the shared memories and the lessons."

"While our paths are now moving in different directions, my priority remains my children and ensuring they feel loved, supported, and protected through this transition," he continued. "I am committed to handling this next chapter with kindness and respect."

Taylor Frankie Paul took the reality TV world by storm in 2024 when "The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives" became a cultural phenomenon. The "MomTok" influencer and most recent "Bachelorette" spoke candidly about her infamous "swinging scandal" and has faced legal troubles throughout the show.

See her career in the spotlight, beginning here backstage during the 98th Oscars at Dolby Theatre on March 15, 2026, in Hollywood, California.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Paul attends the 2026 NBA All-Star Celebrity Game at The Kia Forum on Feb. 13, 2026, in Inglewood, California.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Former NBA player Tacko Fall and Paul before the start of the game.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Paul was named ABC's "Bachelorette" for 2026. She is the first "Bachelorette" lead to helm the franchise despite never appearing on "The Bachelor".

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Paul attends the 2025 TIME100 Creators Launch Party at Gansevoort Rooftop on July 10, 2025, in New York City.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Paul at an event hosted by Hulu on April 22, 2025, in Los Angeles.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> "The Secret Lives Of Mormon Wives" stars Layla Taylor, Miranda McWhorter, Jessi Ngatikaura, Mikayla Matthews, Mayci Neeley, Paul, Jennifer Affleck, Whitney Leavitt and Demi Engemann attend the Los Angeles Premiere of Season 2 at Paramount Studios on May 9, 2025, in Los Angeles.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> From left, Affleck, Paul, McWhorter, Neeley, and Matthews at SiriusXM Studios on May 8, 2025, in Los Angeles.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Mitchell Tenpenny and Paul speak onstage during The 58th Annual CMA Awards on Nov. 20, 2024, in Nashville.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Paul poses on the red carpet before the CMAs.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" />

See 'Mormon Wives' star Taylor Frankie Paul's life in the spotlight

Taylor Frankie Paultook the reality TV world by storm in 2024 when "The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives" became a cultural phenomenon. The "MomTok" influencer and most recent "Bachelorette" spoke candidly about her infamous "swinging scandal" and hasfaced legal troubles throughout the show.See her career in the spotlight, beginning here backstage during the 98th Oscars at Dolby Theatre on March 15, 2026, in Hollywood, California.

News of Draper's divorce comes amid a tornado of negative mediafor the ensemble show,which sees her and other youngMormon influences navigate marriage, motherhood and newfound fame.

Days prior, news broke thatpolice were investigating a domestic disputebetween her costar,Taylor Frankie Paul, and Paul's ex-partner,Dakota Mortenson.

Both have levied accusations of violence, and an impending season of "The Bachelorette," set to star Paul, was pulled by ABC in light of a video showing her alleged2023 assaultonMortensen.

Mortenson has since filed his own restraining order against Paul and asked for sole custody of their shared child, Ever.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Jessi Draper's ex seeks restraining order after divorce filing

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March 23, 2026

Jessi Draper's husband seeks restraining order after filing for divorce

The legal conflict between"Secret Lives of Mormon Wives"starJessi Draperand herhusband Jordan Ngatikaurais esca...

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Don Lemon recalls close call in shooting incident at Rihanna's home: 'It was frightening'

Don Lemonis recalling a "scary" close call he had earlier this month related toa shooting incidentat Rihanna's Los Angeles home.

While at the 12th Annual Better Brothers Los Angeles Truth Awards on Saturday,The Don Lemon Showhost claimed toTMZthat he was supposed to be in the singer's Beverly Hills neighborhood on the dayshots were fired at her house.

"I have a friend that lives very near Rihanna and I could've been there because I was here in L.A. and we were supposed to stay with that friend, and it was frightening," the formerCNNhost said. "And I remember the friend actually had damage to her house. So, it's frightening. It's really scary."

Regarding why he ended up not being there, Lemon said, "It just so happened it was the day of the L.A. Marathon and we were going to go visit her, but we couldn't get a car... and we went to the airport early."

Lemon added that he's "glad [Rihanna] is OK" after what happened.

"Life is really precious and you never know, so you need to celebrate every day," he toldTMZ.

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A representative for the Los Angeles Police Department confirmed toEntertainment Weeklyon March 8 that a number of shots were fired from a car toward the "Diamonds" singer's home on the 9500 block of Heather Rd. in the Beverly Crest section of the wealthy Los Angeles enclave.

The incident occurred around 1:20 p.m., LAPD said. The shots were fired toward the gate of her home before the suspect was taken into custody. Rihanna, A$AP Rocky, their three kids and her mother were home at the time, according to theAssociated Press, but neither she nor anyone at the residence was harmed.

Get your daily dose of entertainment news, celebrity updates, and what to watch with ourEW Dispatch newsletter.

The suspect taken into custody was a 35-year-old woman from Florida, Ivanna Lisette Ortiz. She was charged with one count of attempted murder and 10 counts of assault on a person with a semiautomatic firearm, court records showed. According to AP, she also was charged with three counts of shooting at an inhabited vehicle or dwelling. All 14 counts are felonies.

The suspect allegedly shot seven to nine rounds from an AR-15-style semi-automatic rifle,NBC4 Los Angelesreported at the time. At least two other homes on the block were struck by gunfire, as well, according toABC7 Eyewtiness News.

Read the original article onEntertainment Weekly

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March 23, 2026

Don Lemon recalls close call in shooting incident at Rihanna's home: 'It was frightening'

Don Lemonis recalling a "scary" close call he had earlier this month related toa shooting incidentat Rihanna...

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ICE officers aren't trained in airport security. Can they help ease long lines?

WASHINGTON (AP) — Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers have beendeployed to select airportsacross the country, where they are meant to help mitigate long lines fueled bystaffing shortfallscaused by a partial government shutdown.

But ICE officers arenot trained in aviation safetyand their central role in President Donald Trump'scontentious immigration enforcement agendais raising questions about how effective their assistance might be in easing wait times — and whether it could stoke tensions with travelers.

The government has given few details on what immigration officers will do and Trump has suggested that airports were "fertile ground" for immigration enforcement, although he said ICE was only there to help.

ICE officers on Monday were seen standing near security lines and checkpoints and so far were not screening passengers. Long wait times continued at some airports.

Analysts who follow the industry say there are limits to how much ICE can really assist.

An imperfect solution to a staffing crunch

Substituting ICE for Transportation Security Administration workers is an imperfect solution for an increasingly dire travel situation, said Keith Jeffries, a former head of TSA security at Los Angeles International Airport.

"Can they do some of the duties? Perhaps," said Jeffries, who is now a vice president at K2 Security Screening, which installs airport equipment.

"There is just zero chance for them to be operating X-rays, conducting bag checks and pat-downs," said Jeffries, saying that TSA agents receive lengthy classroom training in security screening procedures, followed by "weeks or months" of on-the-job training.

Trump's border czar Tom Homan on Sunday said immigration officers could staff exit lanes, freeing up some TSA agents to work security.

Zach Griff, author of the travel industry blog "From the Tray Table," said he was "encouraged" by the potential of using ICE officers to assist TSA although he stressed that he didn't see their deployment as a real solution to the problems at airports.

Like Jeffries, he stressed that it's much harder to integrate ICE officers or anyone else into baggage screening, which is the core of what TSA agents do.

"That is a specialized training process that the TSA goes through with all of its agents. That's not something that they can just kind of spin up," Griff said.

ICE officers receive specialized training of their own that has little to do with airport security.

ICE includes Homeland Security Investigations agents and deportation officers with Enforcement and Removal Operations. Both receive basic training in areas like firearms and driving, but deportation officers focus on immigration law, while HSI agents train for longer, complex criminal investigations, and some work within airports.

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ICE officers and their tactics, including aggressive arrest sweeps and the expansion of certain powers to make arrests, have come under fierce scrutiny since the Trump administration launched immigration crackdowns in multiple cities last year.

ICE presence at airports could stoke tensions

ICE officers could help provide crowd control for the mammoth security lines that in recent days have wound around airport terminals and spilled outside buildings, said Jeffries.

But ICE's presence, Jeffries noted, could invite protesters who have sometimes dogged their enforcement actions, which could pull even more airport security resources away from passenger screening. Notably, on Sunday, Lauren Bis of the Department of Homeland Security cited security reasons for declining to disclose which airports would have ICE officers the next day.

Bringing ICE officers, who are typically armed, into the airport at a time when tensions are high over immigration enforcement might not sit well with a lot of people, Griff noted.

"There are going to be people who are going to be uncomfortable seeing ICE agents at the airport," said Griff.

Trump on Monday suggested there could be immigration arrests at airports, which he called "fertile territory" for ICE's operations. But, he added, "that's not why they're there, they're really there to help."

ICE is at the center of the partial shutdown

Trump also waded into a central issue fueling the funding battle in Congress —masks worn by ICE officers. In a social media post Monday, Trump said he supports officers wearing masks when arresting "hardened criminals," but said he would "greatly appreciate, however, NO MASKS" when helping alleviate problems at the airports.

Masks worn by ICE officers have become a flashpoint of controversy in the immigration debate. Critics say masks allow ICE officers to hide from accountability if they violate people's rights. ICE's leadership says they are necessary to protect the officers from doxxing.

Among other demands, Democrats want ICE officers to be barred from wearing masks before they agree to fund the Department of Homeland Security, what would restore payment for TSA workers.

Democrats have raised concerns about deploying ICE to airports.

"Everywhere ICE goes, trouble follows," said Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. "We've seen that, and it is highly likely the airports will be no exception. No one trusts that ICE is going to make things better."

Jeffries, the former head of TSA security at Los Angeles Airport, said the only long-term solution is to break the congressional impasse and get DHS fully funded again.

"There is no substitute — and I don't even think ICE would disagree with that," he said.

Associated Press reporter Kevin Freking contributed.

byCosmopolite

in

March 23, 2026

ICE officers aren't trained in airport security. Can they help ease long lines?

WASHINGTON (AP) — Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers have beendeployed to select airportsacross the country, wh...

Read More