President Donald Trump announced on his Truth Social account that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents will be sent to U.S. airports on Monday to assist Transportation Security Administration (TSA) personnel.
“On Monday, ICE will be going to airports to help our wonderful TSA Agents who have stayed on the job,” Trump wrote in the post.
Both ICE and the TSA are components of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS); the TSA is responsible for passenger security screening at airports.
Budget standoff and demands
DHS has been operating without new funding since February 14 amid a budget standoff driven by Democratic lawmakers pressing for changes after the administration’s immigration enforcement actions in Minnesota. Democrats have pushed for measures including shorter patrols, a ban on face masks for agents, and a requirement that ICE obtain a judicial warrant before entering private property.
Effects on TSA operations
The funding lapse has left many TSA agents working without pay for weeks. A growing number have called out or quit, contributing to long screening lines and wait times that in some cases have stretched to several hours. DHS says more than 300 TSA employees have resigned since the shutdown began on February 14. Union officials add that some officers have taken second jobs or are relying on donations to make ends meet.
What ICE agents will do
Tom Homan, the president’s senior border aide, told CNN ICE officers will not perform tasks for which they lack training. “I don’t see an ICE agent looking at an x-ray machine, because you’re not trained in that,” he said. Instead, Homan said ICE personnel would provide additional security where needed — for example, monitoring exits — and that a deployment plan would be finalized and put into action quickly.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warned the situation could worsen in coming days, saying on ABC that rising operational problems “get much worse” and that mounting strain may increase pressure on Congress to reach a resolution.
Edited by: Saim Dušan Inayatullah