Trump to Deploy ICE Agents to Airports Amid TSA Funding Standoff & Long Lines
WASHINGTON — President Trump announced Saturday he will deploy agents from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to assist the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) at airports nationwide, as travelers face increasingly lengthy security lines amid a continuing standoff in Congress over Department of Homeland Security (DHS) funding. The move, first revealed on Trump’s social media site, is slated to begin Monday.
“I appear forward to moving ICE in on Monday, and have already told them to, “GET READY.” NO MORE WAITING, NO MORE GAMES!” Trump wrote. He as well stated that ICE agents would be tasked with “the immediate arrest of all Illegal Immigrants who have come into our Country.”
The deployment comes after Senate Republicans on Saturday blocked a Democratic attempt to pass a standalone bill funding the TSA, voting 41-49. This followed a Friday vote where Senate Democrats rejected Republican efforts to pass a bill fully funding DHS, which has been partially shuttered since mid-February, according to BBC News.
The ongoing impasse centers on funding for DHS and, increasingly, demands from Democrats for reforms to ICE and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) enforcement practices. These calls for reform followed at least two fatal encounters between federal law enforcement and American citizens in January during heightened immigration enforcement efforts, including the deaths of Renee Great and Alex Pretti in Minnesota, as reported by NBC News.
The partial government shutdown has left TSA officers working without pay for over a month, leading to increased sick leave and a reported 400 employee resignations, exacerbating existing staffing shortages. Airports have responded by consolidating security checkpoints, resulting in longer wait times for passengers. Will Simpson, a traveler from West Palm Beach, Florida, told NBC New York he missed his flight after a 90-minute wait at Newark Liberty International Airport’s Terminal A, incurring an additional $110 Uber fare to reach LaGuardia Airport.
The proposed use of ICE agents at airports has drawn mixed reactions from travelers. Meghan Cox, at Newark Liberty International Airport, expressed cautious optimism, stating, “I feel like that would be okay if they’re willing to step (in) and do a good job and do what (TSA officers) do.” However, Sherry Loris of Powell, Wyoming, called the idea “a train wreck,” questioning the agents’ suitability for the role.
On the Senate floor, Majority Leader John Thune (R-South Dakota) blamed Democrats for the situation, stating, “Homeland Security employees have been working without pay for more than a month. The problems of having an unfunded Homeland Security Department continue to multiply, and Democrats, well, they just seem to shrug.” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-New York) countered by asking Republicans if they wanted to conclude the “chaos at our airports,” and urged them to support a motion to fund TSA independently, CBS News reported.
In February, Democrats had vowed to block DHS funding until Republicans agreed to new oversight measures for ICE agents, including requirements for visible identification and a ban on face coverings. The debate over the agency’s authority and tactics continues as the shutdown enters its second month, leaving the future of airport security and border enforcement in uncertainty.