The Department of Homeland Security has released footage showing an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent saving an unresponsive child at John F. Kennedy International Airport.
The video's release coincides with a viral social media post from Representative Ilhan Omar calling for the agency’s total abolition.
On March 25, an ICE agent stationed at a JFK security checkpoint observed a one-year-old child stop breathing in his father's arms.
CCTV footage shows the father panicking as the infant went limp for nearly two minutes in the TSA PreCheck line.
The agent, who was assisting with airport operations due to TSA staffing shortages, immediately intervened.
He performed the Heimlich maneuver, successfully clearing the child’s airway before paramedics arrived. The child was later cleared to fly after a medical evaluation.
Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin praised the officer’s performance, stating the outcome could have been tragic without the agent's rapid response.
This marks the second time recently that ICE agents have saved a child during such emergencies.
The incident has become a focal point in the national debate over the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement policies.
President Trump has increasingly utilized ICE personnel to support domestic infrastructure and security operations amid persistent staffing challenges.
In a video posted around the time of the rescue, Representative Omar criticized the presence of ICE agents in public spaces.
She described the agency as "rogue" and urged for its removal from airports and communities while calling for its defunding.
Omar’s supporters argue that the deployment of immigration agents to airports constitutes federal overreach.
They maintain that specific humanitarian incidents do not outweigh what they describe as a history of community intimidation and enforcement abuses.
Conversely, critics have labeled the representative's comments as tone-deaf following the JFK rescue.
They point to the footage as evidence of the agency’s role in ensuring general public safety during federal staffing shortages at major travel hubs.
The contrasting events have amplified partisan divides as both sides use the incident to bolster arguments regarding the future of federal law enforcement.
As of Friday, March 27, the viral discourse continues to dominate political discussions across social media.