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The Situation Room

ICE Agents Appearing at U.S. Airports Unmasked; Trump Backs Off Threat to Attack Iran's Energy Sites; Trump on Iran: They Very Much Want to Make a Deal. Aired 10:30-11a ET

Aired March 23, 2026 - 10:30   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

[10:30:00]

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Happening now. ICE agents are deploying to U.S. airports to assist unpaid TSA officers with security roles. New video into the Situation Room shows unmasked agents at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport. It's one of 13 airports where ICE agents are now expected to deploy across security checkpoints. Indeed, that'll continue nationwide.

The White House border czar, Tom Homan, is leading the effort, telling our colleague Dana Bash that details on logistics could be expected today.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TOM HOMAN, WHITE HOUSE BORDER CZAR: We're simply there to help TSA do their job in areas that don't need their specialized expertise, such as, you know, screening through the X-ray machine. Not trained in that? We won't do that.

SEAN DUFFY, TRANSPORTATION SECRETARY: They run those same type of security machines at the southern border. Packages come through or people come through, they run similar assets.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[10:35:00]

BLITZER: All right. Let's go live right now to CNN's senior national correspondent, Ryan Young. He's over at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. Ryan, the lines there, I take it, have been especially long. Once again, what are you learning about ICE's plan to help ease the pressure?

RYAN YOUNG, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Wolf, if the lines have been crushed here today. In fact, this morning, this whole outside area was full of people packed this morning. The lines have actually gone down in the last half hour or so. We saw this group of ICE agents walking and patrolling the airport. We've been walking behind them in the terminal for quite some time.

This is what we've seen the agents doing. They're pretty much patrolling the perimeter or patrolling the inside areas, helping to do crowd control. The Atlanta Police Department has actually added extra officers as well. So, they are not helping get people through the line themselves. They've been standing next to TSA agents as people get checked in, but they're not doing the work of actually physically checking people in. So, that really hasn't helped in terms of moving people through the airport.

We do know that some people waited in line today for over four hours to get through this airport. This has been a madhouse. Sunday, it was crushed here. And in fact, there were several people who missed their flights. A lot of flights are going out half empty from folks that we've been talking to. We've been tracking several customers that they've shown up here this morning, stood outside here, and went through the TSA pre-check line.

The average so far seems to be about two and a half hours to get people through. In the last half hour or so, the line has gone down just a little bit. So, people are feeling a little more secure about making their flights. Take a listen to one passenger we talked to just a short time ago.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LYNNE MOYER, TRAVELING FROM ATLANTA: Three hours, yes.

YOUNG: And you're OK with that? Like you're OK with doing the three hours?

MOYER: I've been watching you. I know about the news. I knew it would be bad. I came prepared.

YOUNG: OK.

MOYER: Now, there's a lady that had a Starbucks, and I thought to myself, what a great idea, you know, make it enjoyable. Then she has to go to the bathroom. You get out of the line? So, that's my one advice. Don't drink coffee in this line.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

YOUNG: Yes, Wolf, as we walk around this perimeter, you'll see a mix. Those two officers down there in that green outfit, those are Atlanta police officers. We know the SWAT team has been brought into this area as well. They're working 12-hour shifts to make sure the airport is secure.

So, you have the Atlanta Police Department working along with ICE in this area to make sure people are secure. I want to stress that point, though, because people were asking whether or not ICE agents were actually checking tickets. That's not happening. We haven't seen that so far. We have seen those agents stand next to TSA workers, but not checking folks in as of right now.

And we've also been talking to TSA administrators on the inside, trying to figure out the number of people who called out today have not received that as well. We're going to work on that throughout the day. But so far, the lines are starting to dip finally after about 48 hours of a crushed airport when it comes to the amount of people that have shown up here to Hartsfield-Jackson International.

BLITZER: All right. Ryan Young over at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in Atlanta for us. Good work over there. We'll stay in touch.

Just ahead, we'll talk with a TSA union head out of Boston, one of the other major cities feeling the travel meltdown. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[10:40:00]

BLITZER: Happening now. ICE agents are being deployed to airports nationwide to assist short-staffed TSA agents who are working without pay amid the partial government shutdown over the Department of Homeland Security. Lawmakers and the White House are still pretty much at odds over reforms to immigration enforcement operations, and the country's airports are caught in the crosshairs.

Joining us now to discuss what's going on is Mike Gayzagian. He's the TSA officer and president of the TSA Union for New England Airports. Mike, thanks so much for joining us. Thanks for your important work. How are you and your union members doing at this partial shutdown? It's dragging on and on, and you all are missing your paychecks.

MIKE GAYZAGIAN, TSA OFFICER AND PRESIDENT, AFGE 2617: Good morning, Wolf, and thanks for having me. Unfortunately, the morale is very low at the airports throughout New England. We are all very upset that a deal has not been struck to pay us because, really, that is all we want to happen. We prefer to stay out of this political situation, and we're hoping that it gets resolved as quickly as possible.

BLITZER: Yes, all of us are hoping for that. Do you have any hope that the White House and the Congress will resolve their differences to get paid anytime soon? This is a dire situation, isn't it?

GAYZAGIAN: It is. And it's vital that it gets resolved. I mean, if you look at the lines in the airports across the country, you know, those lines, I've never seen lines like those before, and those certainly pose security issues for all of those folks involved, and that has to be addressed right away.

What I see happening, however, unfortunately, is the goalposts being moved by both sides, and it makes it look like it's harder and harder to get to a deal, but we have seen them do this before, and we hope they get it done before the end of the week. The folks will -- the offices will miss a paycheck beginning Friday if this doesn't get resolved.

BLITZER: Let's hope it gets resolved. We're now seeing, as you know, ICE agents deployed to airports to help TSA workers like yourself. Do you welcome this decision by the White House? What's your view of all of this?

GAYZAGIAN: So, in New England, they have not been deployed. And so, you know, if we're being honest, we don't see the need for them to be up here. We don't have the situations that are going on.

[10:45:00]

Any police presence in an airport acts as a deterrent. And so, I can understand why, you know, any police agency would be deployed to an airport, especially with ones with crowd sizes in those other cities. However, in New England, we don't have that problem, and to be quite frank, in particular at Logan Airport, our security situation is pretty solid. We have the state troopers, we have the air marshals, we have customs, and if things really get interesting, we have Boston police right down the street. And so, you know, the added security probably is not necessary in New England.

BLITZER: Yes, Logan Airport's in Boston. Mike Gayzagian, good luck to you. Good luck to all the TSA agents up there. We'll stay in close touch with you. Thank you very much.

GAYZAGIAN: Thanks, Wolf. Thank you.

BLITZER: And coming up, President Trump now says he's delaying strikes on Iranian power plants after what he said were, quote, "very good," his words, very good talks on ending the war. We'll discuss what's going on next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[10:50:00]

BLITZER: We have breaking news coming into the situation with President Trump this morning. Backing away from his threats to attack Iran's energy plants if it didn't reopen the Strait of Hormuz today. Saying the U.S. and Iran have had what he describes as productive talks toward ending the war. Here's some of what the president said just moments ago. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: So, the discussions took place yesterday. They went into yesterday evening. They want very much to make a deal. We'd like to make a deal too. We're going to get together today by probably phone because it's very hard to find a country. It's very hard for them to get out, I guess. But we'll, at some point, very soon meet. We're doing a five-day period. We'll see how that goes. And if it goes well, we're going to end up with settling this. Otherwise, we'll just keep bombing our little hearts out.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: Joining us now is Brett McGurk. He's a CNN global affairs analyst, former Middle East coordinator at the National Security Council. Iran, as you know, Brett, is denying it even had a dialogue with the United States. But what do you suspect actually has been happening behind the scenes between these two countries?

BRETT MCGURK, CNN GLOBAL AFFAIRS ANALYST AND FORMER MIDDLE EAST COORDINATOR, NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL: I think, Wolf, this weekend was brinksmanship. So, you had Trump's threat and then you had the Iranians putting down a threat. And then this morning you see some backing off. I have to say, though, I'm fairly skeptical there's much substance going on with these talks, just given the state of the Iranian leadership.

And I see -- in a crisis, Wolf, if you want to try to buy some time and space, and I thought five days -- what I read in Trump's statement was that five days. It kind of gives you time and space to work through some things and reduce some of the economic pressure, which is the main tool the Iranians are trying to use.

BLITZER: The president, President Trump, says his team has been speaking with what he calls the top person in Iran, but not the supreme leader. He added that the U.S. has not heard from Mojtaba Khamenei. What do you take away from that?

MCGURK: Well, the guy who's emerged has been Mohammad Ghalibaf. He is the speaker of the parliament. But that is really -- his real. He's been a fixture of the system fought in the Iran-Iraq war. He was the head of the IRGC Air Force. He was a police chief. He's a real fixture in this system. And he has become like a spokesman.

Whether or not he is actually now talking to the Americans, again, I'm very skeptical. I think what's happening, Wolf, in a crisis, messages start flying around. And so, through Turkey, through Pakistan, others, I'm sure there are messages being delivered to various intermediaries. But what exactly is happening in Iran, I think still it's very hard to know.

Look, I think we bought ourselves this week. The military campaign is going to continue. We won't be hitting energy sites. And perhaps we'll find a channel with the Iranians to work out a deal. But Trump is still talking about the enriched uranium has to come out of Iran. He's still talking about a Venezuela model, which is a soft, you know, regime change type model. Again, I hope I see it. I hope that can happen. I'm just very cautious, given my dealings with Iran.

BLITZER: There have been a lot of reports that Egypt and Turkey have been playing an intermediary role between the U.S. and Iran. Are you surprised?

MCGURK: Well, the Gulf states, Qatar and Oman, which play this role between the U.S. and Iran. I've dealt with both of them as a mediator with Iran. They're kind of out of it because the Gulf is under attack. So --

BLITZER: And the Iranians have launched attacks on both Qatar and Oman.

MCGURK: Exactly. So, having Turkey step in is not surprising. And Egypt is an influential player, and Sisi's been talking to everybody. So, we have to see. Hopeful that there can be a diplomatic off-ramp here in which Iran agrees to some of the conditions Trump has put down. But I'm just not ready to predict that's going to happen.

BLITZER: There was a dramatic development. I want to get your thought on this. Iran actually fired a missile at a base shared by the United States and the U.K. that was some 2,500 miles away from Iran, 2,500 miles. Did that factor into the urgency for these new talks in your view that the Iranians even have a capability of launching a missile that far?

MCGURK: Well, it's telling, Wolf, because the Iranians have said for years that they had actually self-imposed a limit on their missile program to about a 2,000-kilometer range. This was actually double that. I doubt they came up with that technology in the couple weeks that this conflict has been going on.

So, it demonstrates Iran's missile program has advanced by leaps and bounds over the last decade. I had to deal with it. We had missiles attacking U.S. ships, U.S. troops. It is a serious, serious threat. They, of course, proliferate this technology to Russia for use in Ukraine and, of course, to their groups around the region. It's a real problem.

[10:55:00]

If one thing that comes out of this is we have basically destroyed the Iranian missile program, their defense industrial base, their drone program, and they really cannot pick it up for a period of years, that's actually a pretty good outcome given how advanced that missile program has become. 2,500 miles, they could hit a lot of targets in Europe. That is a massive range, and that's telling, and it's concerning.

BLITZER: All right. Brett McGurk, thank you very, very much. And coming up, one of New York's main airports is closed right now after the deadly collision between a plane and an airport firetruck. Federal investigators now swarming the scene. We'll have the latest from LaGuardia Airport in New York when we come back.

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[11:00:00]