Trump says he’s sending federal immigration agents to airports on Monday amid DHS shutdown
Trump Threatens ICE Deployment at Airports Amid DHS Funding Deadlock
On Saturday, President Donald Trump announced his plan to deploy Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents to airports nationwide on Monday, intensifying the political dispute over funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). In a series of posts on Truth Social, he emphasized that ICE would enforce security standards surpassing previous efforts, declaring, “If the Democrats do not allow for Just and Proper Security at our Airports, and elsewhere throughout our Country, ICE will do the job far better than ever done before!”
Hours prior, Trump had first hinted at this action, stating, “If the Radical Left Democrats don’t immediately sign an agreement to let our Country, in particular, our Airports, be FREE and SAFE again, I will move our brilliant and patriotic ICE Agents to the Airports where they will do Security like no one has ever seen before.” He also mentioned that ICE agents would prioritize the arrest of undocumented immigrants arriving at U.S. borders.
Funding Standoff Escalates
The president’s remarks followed a pivotal Saturday vote in which Senate Republicans blocked a Democratic attempt to approve a standalone TSA funding bill by a 41-49 margin. A day earlier, Democrats had rejected Republican proposals to fully fund DHS, which has operated under partial shutdown since mid-February. This deadlock has left Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers unpaid, causing delays and increased wait times at airports nationwide.
“Today, Senate Republicans voted against paying TSA agents because they insist on tying TSA funding to their push to give even more money to ICE — without basic reforms. That is not how this should work — and it is just plain wrong that Republicans are preventing TSA agents from getting paid while airport lines grow longer across the country,” said Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., a key Democratic negotiator.
While ICE remains operational due to additional funds from last year’s “big, beautiful bill,” the TSA’s financial struggles highlight the broader standoff. Democrats had previously demanded reforms, including identification requirements and restrictions on arrests, as a condition for funding DHS. This came after two Americans were killed by federal agents during an immigration operation in Minnesota earlier this year.
Attempts to Resolve the Crisis
Bipartisan efforts to end the shutdown gained momentum this week as negotiators convened on Capitol Hill. Trump’s border chief, Tom Homan, engaged with a group of senators twice, but a third meeting was delayed. Senators aimed to hold the session Sunday, according to a Democratic aide. Meanwhile, Republicans presented a new proposal, including body cameras, enhanced training, and limits on arrests in sensitive locations like schools and hospitals, as Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D., noted.
As the crisis deepens, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., criticized Democrats for the ongoing disruptions, stating, “The situation at U.S. airports continues to worsen thanks to Democrats’ refusal to fund the Department of Homeland Security. Thousands of Homeland Security employees have been working without pay for more than a month.” Later, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., addressed the issue, asserting, “It is unacceptable for workers and travelers in entire airports to get taken.”
Senators are now evaluating Trump’s nomination of Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., to lead DHS. Trump had earlier announced that Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem would step down by March’s end, with Mullin set to replace her. The situation underscores the deepening rift over how to balance immigration enforcement with airport security funding.