Trump threatens to send ICE to airports if DHS isn’t funded
President Trump has a solution to Congress’s failure to pay TSA agents: send ICE agents in their place.
On Saturday, he said he would send federal immigration agents to airports to provide security screening amid the Department of Homeland Security shutdown.
The Senate is deadlocked over DHS funding, with Democrats demanding changes to Immigration and Customs Enforcement laws to curb what they see as unwelcome agent tactics.
“If the radical left Democrats do not immediately sign a deal to allow our country, especially our airports, to be FREE and SAFE again, I will move our brilliant, patriotic ICE agents into the airports where they will provide security like no one has ever seen before,” Mr. Trump posted on Truth Social.
His warning follows Senate Democrats’ vote Friday against a Republican-backed measure to end the funding gap, which began in mid-February.
Democrats concocted the shutdown to pressure Republicans to pass new ICE requirements, such as requiring identification and prohibiting officers from wearing face coverings. Democrats insisted that the White House’s counteroffers were insufficient.
Deploying ICE agents to airports would include “the immediate arrest of all illegal immigrants who have entered our country,” Mr. Trump said. “I look forward to seeing ICE in action at our airports. »
Republicans have criticized lawmakers from across the aisle, blaming them for chaos in Americans’ travel.
“TSA officers are doing their job,” the White House said on social media. “Democrats should do theirs.”
ICE was largely unaffected by the partial shutdown, having received $75 billion in additional funding from the president’s major legislative package, the One Big Beautiful Bill.
But the shutdown has strained the Transportation Security Administration, causing hours-long lines at airport security checkpoints across the country. A growing number of TSA employees have called in sick after missing their first paycheck last week. They could miss their second full paycheck next week if lawmakers remain deadlocked.
Meanwhile, Tesla CEO Elon Musk has offered to cover the salaries of airport security guards.
“I would like to offer to pay the salaries of TSA staff during this financial impasse that is negatively affecting the lives of so many Americans at airports across the country,” the billionaire said on social media on Saturday.
