❓WHAT HAPPENED: A U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent saved the life of a one-year-old boy who stopped breathing at New York City’s John F. Kennedy International Airport.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: The ICE agent, the one-year-old boy, and his father, along with responding paramedics.
📍WHEN & WHERE: Wednesday at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City.
💬KEY QUOTE: “This officer’s extraordinary bravery embodies the selfless service of DHS law enforcement.” – Department of Homeland Security (DHS) statement
🎯IMPACT: The boy regained his breathing thanks to the agent’s quick response and was cleared to fly after paramedic evaluation. ICE has been helping the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) during an ongoing DHS shutdown, caused by Senate Democrats’ refusal to fund the department.
A U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent rescued a one-year-old boy who had stopped breathing while waiting in line at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport on Wednesday, officials said. The agent had been helping Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers at the airport when the child suddenly went limp in his father’s arms inside the TSA PreCheck lane, according to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
Security video captured the moment the boy’s arms went lifeless, triggering panic from his father and surrounding passengers. Alerted by the father’s cries and the growing commotion, the ICE agent ran to the scene, quickly evaluated the toddler, and immediately began the Heimlich maneuver. Within seconds, the boy started breathing again. Paramedics examined him on the spot and cleared him to continue his journey.
“This heroic officer immediately sprang into action—rushing toward the cries, taking the child, and performing a Heimlich maneuver that restored the infant’s breathing after nearly two minutes,” DHS stated. “This officer’s extraordinary bravery embodies the selfless service of DHS law enforcement.”
The episode is the second time in recent weeks that ICE agents have saved a child. On February 20, off-duty agents in Massachusetts pulled a four-year-old boy from a hotel swimming pool after he fell in and nearly drowned. The agents, who were eating nearby, performed CPR until paramedics arrived. “If our agents had not been there and stepped up, this would have been a tragic outcome,” ICE said of the Massachusetts rescue. “Our agents are truly the best of the best. Every single day they put their lives on the line to save American lives.”
Notably, ICE is assisting the TSA at airports due to a partial shutdown of DHS, resulting from Senate Democrats refusing to fund the department unless immigration enforcement is substantially restricted. This has caused high absenteeism among TSA staff, who are not being paid, and chaos at U.S. airports.
WATCH; DHS tells @FoxNews that an ICE agent saved the life of a 1-year-old boy who had gone unresponsive & wasn’t breathing while waiting in a TSA line at JFK airport yesterday. Video shows the boy’s father panicking as the boy goes limp in his arms, before the ICE agent runs… pic.twitter.com/49UZte2VJk
— Bill Melugin (@BillMelugin_) March 26, 2026
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