Trump Threatens ICE Takeover of Airport Security Amid TSA Funding Dispute

President Donald Trump threatened Saturday to deploy Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents to U.S. Airports as soon as Monday, escalating a dispute with congressional Democrats over funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The move, announced via a post on Trump’s Truth Social platform, comes after the Senate failed for a fifth time to pass a funding bill for the TSA and other immigration agencies.

“I will move our brilliant and patriotic ICE Agents to the Airports where they will do Security like no one has ever seen before,” Trump wrote. He claimed ICE agents would implement “unprecedented” security measures, including the arrest of undocumented immigrants, with a specific focus on individuals from Somalia. “I look forward to moving ICE in on Monday and have already told them to, ‘GET READY.’ NO MORE WAITING, NO MORE GAMES!”

The escalating conflict centers on a budget impasse for DHS. Democrats have resisted approving the funding due to concerns over the Trump administration’s immigration policies, particularly aggressive deportation tactics. The White House, when asked for comment, referred all inquiries to Trump’s social media posts.

The funding shortfall has already begun to disrupt air travel. The lack of pay for Transportation Security Administration (TSA) workers has led to increased absenteeism and resignations, resulting in significantly longer wait times at major airports including Atlanta, New York’s JFK, and New Orleans. Essential personnel continue to work without pay.

The dispute was further inflamed by recent incidents involving federal agents and the Somali community. Trump has accused individuals from Somalia of widespread public funds fraud, and the administration’s increased immigration enforcement efforts have led to shootings in Minneapolis in January that resulted in two fatalities. Trump specifically referenced these incidents in his Saturday post, naming Minnesota Governor, Attorney General, and Congresswoman Ilhan Omar as “corrupt” figures who had “destroyed” the state.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk offered to cover the salaries of TSA workers during the shutdown, but the offer has not been formally addressed by the administration. DHS did not immediately respond to a request for comment from CNBC.

Trump’s threat to deploy ICE agents to perform airport security duties raises questions about the agency’s training and legal authority to assume TSA functions. The move is widely seen as a pressure tactic aimed at forcing Democrats to concede to his demands on DHS funding.