The Brief

Since Feb. 14, Transportation Security Administration staff have worked without pay due to the ongoing partial government shutdown — and with many calling out of work, passengers across the United States have experienced hourslong security screening lines.

This weekend, President Donald Trump announced that as of Monday, Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents would be deployed to airports to support TSA operations.

The Trump administration said that ICE officers would be on duty to assist with airport security staffing. But the presence of ICE officers has sparked fear and uncertainty among travelers.

San Francisco International Airport, the Bay Area’s biggest airport, has been spared long wait lines by the fact that its security screening is contracted by a private company rather than TSA.

But on Sunday night, in an incident captured on video, plainclothes immigration officers were seen at SFO forcefully handling a woman in front of her young child. SFO was not on the list of 14 airports obtained by CNN where ICE would be appearing.

While standing in line, open up the airline app and rebook yourself, says travel reporter Chris Dong.

(

EschCollection

/

Getty Images

)

So what should you know about ICE in U.S. airports right now? Keep reading for what we know about immigration officers, air travel and your rights around ICE officers.

Bear in mind that the following information doesn’t constitute legal advice, and you should direct any specific questions about your individual situation to a lawyer.

Which U.S. airports have ICE been deployed to?

According to reporting by The New York Times, 14 airports around the country will host ICE agents.

CNN reported that these locations include Chicago-O’Hare International Airport, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, John F. Kennedy International and LaGuardia airports in New York and Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport.

No California airports appear on CNN’s current list.

On Tuesday, a TSA spokesperson confirmed to KQED that ICE would be deployed to “airports being adversely impacted” by TSA callouts and resignations — and that none of these were in the Bay Area.

Why was ICE at SFO on Sunday?

In footage from around 10 p.m. Sunday that was posted to social media, men wearing dark clothing were filmed at SFO pulling a crying woman from an airport terminal bench and then pushing her into a wheelchair — as a girl of around 10 is heard crying nearby. San Francisco police officers were seen standing by as the arrest occurred.

The men are not wearing visible badges or agency markings, but the Department of Homeland Security said on the social media platform X Monday that they were, in fact, ICE officers.

According to a DHS spokesperson, the woman and her daughter were arrested at the airport and were being “escorted to the international terminal for processing” when the woman tried to flee. Read more about Sunday night’s incident at SFO. As reported by The New York Times on Tuesday evening, ICE had originally been alerted to the pair’s presence at SFO by TSA.

According to a statement released by SFO, the airport was “not involved in or notified in advance of this incident.”

“We understand federal officers were transporting two individuals on an outbound flight when this incident occurred,” the statement reads. “We believe this is an isolated incident and have no reason to suspect broader enforcement action at SFO.”

San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie echoed the airport’s statement on Monday in a social media post. Lurie said in his statement that local law enforcement “does not participate in federal civil immigration enforcement,” although some immigration attorneys have nonetheless questioned SFPD’s presence during the arrest.

As of Monday afternoon, local immigration advocates said they were still assessing the situation and working to “confirm all the facts related to this incident.”

“After killing people in our streets and detaining U.S. citizens, ICE has lost all credibility and trust with the public,” Bay Area Rep. Kevin Mullin and Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi said in a joint statement. “We demand immediate answers as to the mother’s and her child’s condition and the grounds for their detainment.”

Can ICE arrest people at the airport?

Yes, there have been documented instances of ICE arresting people at airports.

Jonathan Blazer, director of border strategies and senior advisor at the American Civil Liberties Union, said that there is “nothing that categorically prohibits ICE from going into an airport as an immigration enforcement agent.”

For example, Blazer said, ICE agents have used commercial flights in the past to transport individuals on deportation flights — or to transfer arrested people to immigration detention centers.

Travelers and their luggage in a terminal at Los Angeles International Airport.

(

Mario Tama

/

Getty Images

)

Additionally, as first reported by The New York Times in December 2025, TSA has shared information about air travelers who are believed to be under deportation orders with ICE, enabling immigration agents to make arrests at the airport.

But Blazer said that this week’s deployment of ICE to airports — the “mere presence for this purpose, in an untargeted fashion, in large numbers” — was “unprecedented.”

According to CNN on Tuesday morning, Trump said that agents will continue arresting undocumented people, but said of ICE agents in airports: “That’s not why they’re there; they’re really there to help.” (Most TSA officers are not commissioned law enforcement officers.)

“Part of what’s so challenging here is that the Trump administration hasn’t really made clear what authorities they are vesting with ICE as part of this mission,” Blazer said.

In its roundup of risks of air travel, the National Immigration Law Center said that for people who are undocumented, have temporary immigration status or who are under a deportation order, there is “a significant risk of arrest at a U.S. airport.”

However, NILC also said that “all non-citizens face some risk” while traveling through U.S. airports, including those with green cards, if they have certain criminal convictions or who have Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals status.

Advocates encourage passengers who aren’t U.S. citizens to talk to a lawyer about their specific situation before traveling.

Customs and Border Protection already regularly works in airports. What’s the difference between their powers and ICE’s?

ICE and CBP are both immigration enforcement agencies within DHS.

While ICE conducts enforcement within the U.S. and manages detention and deportation operations, CBP conducts inspections at all U.S. “ports of entry” — at land borders, seaports and airports.

ACLU’s Blazer said that while CBP has a lot of “power when they’re screening people coming in on an international flight,” that doesn’t apply to domestic flights. For example, CBP — and ICE — should not be able to check your electronic devices without a warrant for a domestic flight.

Nicole Hallett, director of the Immigrants’ Rights Clinic and a clinical professor of law at the University of Chicago, told the Washington Post that ICE cannot search a passenger’s personal belongings without a warrant — and can only do this if they are working on behalf of an agency that can, like CBP.

“If they’re acting as a TSA agent, they have to follow TSA rules. If they’re acting as a CBP agent and doing Border Patrol work, then they have the authority that Border Patrol has,” Hallett said.

“And if they are just merely standing in the airport as ICE officers, then they have the same legal authority that any ICE officer standing in a public location has,” she said. (Regardless, she said that ICE can approach passengers anywhere in the airport, including after security.)

What should I do if ICE approaches me in the airport?

At border checkpoints — including airports — officers can ask questions, carry out personal searches and detain people with wide latitude, Ahilan Arulanantham, co-director of the UCLA School of Law’s Center for Immigration Law & Policy, told NPR.

But Blazer said that in order for ICE to arrest someone for an immigration violation without a warrant, they would need to establish probable cause that the person is in the U.S. in violation of U.S. immigration laws — and that the person is likely to escape before a warrant can be obtained for the arrest. There has been recent litigation across the country challenging some of ICE’s warrantless arrests, he said.

(

AP

)

ICE officers “have no additional authority in an airport,” Blazer said. But in reality, he said, the constitutional protections and rights people have can be “a lot trickier to make the choice to exercise them” in an airport setting for most people — who are dealing not only with the added pressures of catching expensive flights but also the impatience of other passengers in the security line.

For example, people — whether citizens or immigrants — have the right to ask an immigration officer, “Am I free to go?” If they don’t have a specific, individualized, reasonable suspicion that you’ve committed a crime, they can’t question you further and you can go, Blazer said.

“But let’s think about how that works in the airport context,” he said. “‘Am I free to go?’ and leaving means that I’m probably leaving the airport to get myself out of a situation, and I may miss my flight at that point.”

Do I have to answer ICE’s questions at the airport?

If an ICE agent asks you questions in the airport, you “have the same right to remain silent as you do on the street,” Blazer said. “Nothing changes just because you’re in an airport.”

But this is another example of how the pressures of the airport setting can affect your situation, Blazer said. If you choose to exercise your right to remain silent, the officer may pull you out of the security line and try to ask more questions.

“We have the same rights, but in that environment, there are additional costs associated with exercising those rights,” Blazer said. “Many people in that situation, out of their own self-interest … ‘go along to get along’ as much as possible.”

What if ICE asks me for ID?

According to reporting from USA Today, travelers do need to provide identification and comply with TSA screening to board a flight. But generally, citizens and immigrants have the right to remain silent when talking to law enforcement, including ICE.

The Asian Law Caucus said that if you believe you are being taken into ICE custody, you should practice your right to remain silent and should not answer any questions. You should also not sign any documents without a lawyer reviewing them, the organization said.

Blazer said that federal law said people with lawful permanent residency or other visas that grant them lawful status must carry proof of their status with them — like their green card. “And it may be in their interest, in terms of avoiding further improper questioning or improper unlawful arrests, to answer those questions and to show that proof of status,” Blazer said.

“So even though you have a right not to, I want to make clear that people are going to need to make an individualized decision as to whether it’s in their interest to exercise that right,” he said. “Especially if they are an adult green cardholder or somebody else who is subject to a federal law requiring them to carry proof of their status at all times.”

Is it legal to film ICE?

“Taking photographs and video of things that are plainly visible in public spaces is a constitutional right — and that includes police and other government officials carrying out their duties,” the ACLU’s guidance reads.

And while there’s no Supreme Court ruling on an unambiguous First Amendment right to film law enforcement officers, “all of the seven U.S. Federal Circuit Courts that have considered the issue have pretty much said there is a First Amendment right to record the police and observe the police,” criminal justice reporter C.J. Ciaramella at Reason told KQED’s Close All Tabs podcast earlier this year.

Atlanta Police Department officers look on as travelers stand in long lines at Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport on March 23, 2026, in Atlanta, Georgia.

(

Megan Varner

/

Getty Images

)

But airports could be a potentially harder environment to film, Blazer said.

“It’s not as though the First Amendment doesn’t exist at airports, but airports are not traditional public domain in a way that parks [are],” Blazer said. For example, some TSA security lines have a sign nearby that says “no photos.”

“They rarely enforce that, but it just shows you that it’s already a more regulated environment in which they can impose certain restrictions,” Blazer said.

It is lawful to film law enforcement in “any open, visible place when they’re performing their duties,” Blazer said, echoing the guidance laid out in this thorough guide by the ACLU.

“But at the same time, it can be permissible for airport operators to impose certain reasonable rules, and those rules might include restricting photographing in particular areas of the airport,” Blazer said.

Practically, it could be hard to argue against an airport official who is telling you not to take photos in an area, Blazer said. And there may be a legal fight after the fact, “if a person doesn’t comply with that order and is arrested or is taken out of the line,” he said.

“But, I think, the practical reality is that” in an airport “environment, it gets harder to exercise that right,” he said.

Bystander videos also provide important counternarratives to official law enforcement accounts. After the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti by ICE officers in Minnesota earlier this year, Trump administration officials immediately claimed Pretti was a “domestic terrorist” intending to “massacre” officers — claims contradicted by the multiple eyewitness videos taken of the killing.

Officials with the Trump administration have, however, characterized filming ICE as “violence” and “doxing,” and Americans have faced detention by ICE after filming agents.

So all in all, while recording ICE might be your constitutional right, it also brings increasing risks. Read more about the logistics — and risks — of recording law enforcement officers like ICE agents.

What do immigrant advocates say about traveling during this time? 

San Francisco advocacy group Mission Action warns that noncitizens who do not currently have legal status “should carefully consider the risks of air travel, including domestic flights within the U.S.”

“Recent reporting suggests increased risks, including that TSA may be sharing traveler information with ICE, which could expose individuals to enforcement,” their social media post reads.

The Alameda County Immigration Legal Education Partnership said people should “talk to an attorney before flying to understand your risk.” The guidance suggested people plan extra time before traveling and keep key documents — like proof of lawful status, pending applications or certified copies of criminal cases if the case was closed — on hand. The organization emphasized that people should not “sign anything” they’re given by immigration agents that they “don’t understand.”

The ACLU Northern California has a page that breaks down your rights at the airport and whether or not border officers can ask about your immigration status.

According to ACLU NorCal, U.S. citizens only have to “answer questions establishing your identity and citizenship (in addition to customs-related questions).”

However, the organization cautions that “refusing to answer routine questions about the nature and purpose of your travel could result in delay and/or further inspection.”

Noncitizen visa holders and visitors who refuse to answer questions could face a delay or be denied entry. Lawful permanent residents, like green card holders, only have to answer questions about their identity and permanent residency, according to ACLU NorCal.

“Refusal to answer other questions will likely cause delay, but officials may not deny you entry into the U.S. for failure to answer other questions,” ACLU NorCal advised legal permanent residents — noting that green card status “may be revoked only by an immigration judge,” and warning, “Do not give up your green card voluntarily!”

The Asian Law Caucus also has a helpful chart on what people of differing statuses can expect in airports when it comes to their baggage, device searches and length of potential detainment.

What should I do if I think I see ICE in an airport?

Instead of posting possible ICE sightings to social media, immigration advocates highly encourage people to call them first instead. With these hotlines, advocates can fact-check these sightings, with the goal of preventing the spread of misinformation online.

You can find the complete and updated list of rapid response numbers on the California Collaborative for Immigrant Justice’s website.

You can also follow these organizations on their social media accounts to see if these are confirmed sightings or just rumors.

Immigration agents detained someone I know. How do I find them?

Typically, a person of any status can be detained up to 72 hours at a port of entry, according to the Asian Law Caucus. They can also be transferred to criminal or ICE custody.

KQED has a guide that walks you through how to potentially locate someone through different detention centers.

The primary way to find someone is through ICE’s Online Detainee Locator System. You can also call ICE at 866-347-2423.

According to the Asylum Seeker Advocacy Project, it may take a few days for a person to appear in the ICE database. If the name you’re searching for isn’t showing up in the ICE system — or if you’re concerned about their safety and possible deportation — you can seek out assistance from advocacy organizations such as Freedom for Immigrants.

This story contains reporting from KQED’s Katie DeBenedetti, Carlos Cabrera-Lomelí, Tyche Hendricks and Carly Severn.

It may be entering a new era, but walking into the Original Pantry Cafe still feels like stepping back in time. The caged cash register is still there, with a worn spot on the floor in front of it, and the wood-board menus listing the day’s specials in chalk.

The iconic diner, which had served downtown L.A. from the corner of Ninth and Figueroa streets for over 100 years, closed in March 2025 amid a labor dispute, after the trust that owned it decided to sell the property. Now, under new ownership, it reopens Thursday, Nov. 19.

Leo Pustilnikov, a developer, bought the building in September 2025, and Hope the Mission, a San Fernando Valley nonprofit, will now run it, with all profits going to shelters for L.A.’s unhoused community.

Longtime staff are returning under a new contract with UNITE HERE Local 11. Rowan Vansleve, president of Hope the Mission, called bringing them back “incredibly emotional.”

What’s back and what’s not

Fans of the Pantry will find familiar names on the menu, including the famous coleslaw and sourdough toast from Frisco Baking Co. And of course, the beloved pancakes make their triumphant return, now made from scratch.

“We’ve got the same sourdough that we were using prior to Hope the Mission coming in,” Vansleve said.

The Pantry’s dining room and long counter keep their classic diner look, with a new bakery case near the front windows.

(

Courtesy The Original Pantry Cafe

)

Other dishes got a 2026 makeover. The Denver omelet now uses poblano peppers, the fried chicken sandwich comes with a spicy chile glaze and pickled radish, and a new bakery case is stocked with cookies, pies, chocolate malt crunch cake and peach cobbler.

“There are a few alterations on the menu,” Vansleve said. “Tastes have changed, and this needs to be successful.”

Two new sandwiches are named after donors who helped fund the reopening. The Betty Burger comes with Cooper sharp cheese, grilled onions, house pickles and Pantry Gold sauce on a sesame bun. Grant’s Sky High Deli piles half a pound of warm corned beef with Gruyère, horseradish slaw and mustard on toasted rye.

“I’m really excited for people to try our burger,” said executive chef Daniel Hur.

A stack of buttermilk pancakes made from scratch costs $16.

(

Courtesy

/

Courtesy The Original Pantry Cafe

)

Buttermilk pancakes are $16, and the classic breakfast platter — eggs, meat, Pantry potatoes and toast — is $21.

“We did a lot of research to make sure that we’re just under pretty much everyone else in the local area,” Vansleve said. “We’re not gonna gouge you.”

The Pantry no longer runs around the clock, and it now takes cards.

But Vansleve hopes the shortened hours will be temporary. “The Pantry’s not truly back until it’s 24 hours,” he acknowledged, adding that hours will expand as demand allows. He also hopes to reopen Riordan’s Tavern, the adjoining bar, “in some renewed format sometime late next year.”

Not everyone is sold

As soon as the new menu was posted online, commenters flooded the restaurant’s Instagram page and Reddit, pleading for nothing to change.

Hur, who grew up in Culver City, said he understands. “I love Tito’s Tacos. It’s been around since the ’50s. If someone came in there and changed the Tito’s Taco, I’d be like, ‘Why?’” he said. “So I get it.”

The specials board greets Angelenos ahead of the Nov. 19 reopening.

(

Courtesy The Original Pantry Cafe

)

Hur said he’s had to weigh purists against diners looking for something new, aiming to welcome back regulars while drawing in a new crowd. He’s open to feedback. “I know even if I’m not open to it, I’m gonna get it,” he said. “So I might as well be open to it.”

Vansleve’s pitch is simpler: “Give it a go, come in.”

Every meal helps, he said. “100% of the profits is gonna go back to the charity.” Hope the Mission runs 35 shelters housing about 3,500 people on any given night, according to Vansleve

To reach its 24-hour goal, he said, “We need to see those lines around the corner like they used to be.”

One of Broadway’s most popular shows in years, Oh, Mary! is now at the Ahmanson Theatre through Dec. 6. It stars drag performer extraordinaire Alaska Thunderf*ck 5000, known mononymously as Alaska.

Alaska caught up with LAist host Julia Paskin to talk about taking the Tony Award-winning dark comedy on the road, how competing on RuPaul's Drag Race has changed over the years, and where to see a great drag show in Los Angeles.

A role she was made for

The list of actors who have played the titular role of Mary ranges from seasoned comedians, like show creator Cole Escola, to Jane Krakowski and Bowen Yang, the latter of whom is currently on an extended Broadway run.

Jane Krakowski during her broadway run in "Oh, Mary!"

(

Emilio Madrid

/

Center Theater Group

)

“It's going on my tombstone,” Alaska said. “Like, it's the biggest deal ever.”

The role not only has big proverbial shoes to fill, but also requires donning a large, heavy hoopskirt for a costume. That was not a problem.

“If you ever just wanna, like, change your entire personality, just put on a hoopskirt,” she said. “It really changes the way you move and the way you kinda act and the way you stand. That's drag, I guess, because drag is sort of transforming based on what you're putting on your body, and it really does change everything.”

The higher cost to compete on Drag Race 

Speaking of drag, Alaska initially rose to fame appearing on Season 5 of RuPaul’s Drag Race in 2013 and the second season of the All Stars spinoff in 2016, which she won. Longtime fans of the reality show can confirm a lot has changed over the years with the competition becoming more expensive and queens investing in pricey, commissioned costume pieces and drag accessories.

Alaska said she’s grateful she competed when she did.

“I got in under the wire,” Alaska said. “I got onto that show back when you could show up with a bag of dirty laundry and you could do pretty well. When I went on that show the first time, I was borrowing stuff from other girls. I really just went to the thrift store and got some stuff. I had my friends make some stuff with me as well.”

She says the pressure is also more intense with the audience expecting a high production quality.

“The viewership is so knowledgeable about fabrics, and designers, and fashion, and polish and wig lines,” Alaska added. “That's good. I mean, I think that it's a pendulum, and it swings back and forth. Yes, we love to see exquisite, fabulous costumery on Drag Race. But, we also like to see some, stupid, silly drag as well.”

Where to catch great drag in LA 

Alaska recommends Meatball’s Phat Slut show at Precinct in downtown L.A., and added "anything happening at Precinct is going to be unique, fierce, fun, and just like an excellent vibe.”

Another top recommendation is “The Golden Girls Live” from drag queens Jackie Beat and Sherry Vine.

“It happens in a very small room,” Alaska said. “So you're literally sitting onstage with the Golden Girls. There's really nothing like it.”

You can see Alaska in Oh, Mary! at the Ahmanson Theatre and when her Revolution Tour stops in at Pacific Electric May 8, 2027.

Rhea Borja and her husband, Eric Wee, bought their home in Altadena in 2022. After the January 2025 Eaton Fire, it still stood, in a pocket of other homes that also survived.

At first, that was a relief. As many fire survivors have found, though, remediating smoke damage has been nearly as daunting as rebuilding a home that burned.

That has been true for Borja and Wee too. They’ve been living in Northern California since the fire, while they work to get their home cleared of the toxic remnants of the smoke.

The Eaton Fire destroyed 9,414 structures, including homes and businesses. For the thousands of structures were left standing, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed laws in September setting new rules for smoke damage cleanup.

What has that looked like in practice? Three Eaton Fire survivors spoke with LAist recently about the challenges they’ve faced.

Remediation challenges

Rhea Borja stands in her driveway just a month or so before the January 2025 fire. All of the houses behind her across the street burned down, including all the trees and greenery.

(

Rhea Borja

)

On the blocks around Borja’s home, the frames of homes being rebuilt are taking shape. But her home has stood empty for 22 months.

“It has been an enormous test of patience,” she said.

Her home has gone through four remediations. The lead test results after the most recent remediation cleared EPA standards. Since then, Borja has had a new HVAC system installed.

Next up, re-insulating the attic.

She’s hoping to be back in Altadena early next year but recognizes there’s still a lot to do, including remediating the front and back yards. She’ll have to pay for those projects out of pocket.

“I miss Altadena. I miss Los Angeles. I miss being by the San Gabriel Mountains,” Borja said. “So I just feel kind of removed from the area, and sometimes it almost just seems like a dream.”

A hallway in Rhea Borja’s home after it was remediated for a third time in June 2026.

(

Rhea Borja

)

Rhea Borja removed the remediator’s tape and plastic covering over a living room window of her Altadena home in mid October.

(

Courtesy of Rhea Borja

)

Simon Perry and his partner have two properties in Altadena that still require remediation.

One is their home right outside of the fire zone, and the other is a rental property right in the middle of it.

At Perry’s home of 15 years, the contamination was off the charts.

“To give you an indication of how badly contaminated it is, the attic crawl space tested at 3,391 units of lead,” Perry said. “So there's 50 times the safe level of lead in the crawl space of the attic.”

Perry had intended to retire the week of the Eaton Fire. He postponed that while he dealt with the fire’s aftermath — spending hours itemizing personal items, then throwing them away.

By the end of September, he and his partner moved for the fourth time since the fire.

Before that move, their temporary home was “full of cardboard boxes and boxes full of stuff, you know, because everything is in transition and has been in transition for 20 months,” he said.

A return home

After 19 months of being displaced, Susan Mohini Kane, husband Bernard Kane and their cat returned to Altadena.

Being displaced was unsettling, but Kane said she learned a lot.

Susan Mohini Kane shared this photo with LAist from March 2026 after most of her home’s contents were removed. The walls were cut up for rewiring.

(

Susan Mohini Kane

)

Susan Mohini Kane and her husband Bernard Kane began moving in over the summer. A friend gifted her hand-sewn quilt to replace one they lost to smoke damage.

(

Susan Mohini Kane

)

“More things happened every day that I didn't expect,” Kane said. “They ended up, basically, having to tear our house down.”

The walls of the Kane home were removed and then replaced. They filled and hauled bags of fire-damaged goods out of their home.

Now that she’s back, Kane is excited to return to her work as a voice teacher, singer and songwriter.

Susan Mohini Kane and her husband Bernard Kane are happy to be back in their home after 19 months of remediation and repairs after the Eaton Fire.

(

David Rodriguez/LAist

)

She wants people who didn’t experience the wildfire to know what people are still going through nearly two years later.

“We're still here. We're still suffering. We're still needing so much help,” she said.