Trump threatens to send ICE to airports if DHS isn’t funded

President Trump has a solution to Congress’ failure to pay TSA officers: sending ICE agents in their place.

On Saturday, he said he would send the federal immigration officers to airports for security enforcement amid the Department of Homeland Security shutdown.

The Senate is in a standoff over funding for DHS, with Democrats demanding Immigration and Customs Enforcement changes to rein in what they see as untoward agent tactics.

“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,” Mr. Trump posted on Truth Social.

His warning comes on the heels of Senate Democrats voting down a GOP-backed measure Friday to end the funding lapse, which began in mid-February.

Democrats concocted the shutdown to pressure Republicans into new ICE requirements, such as mandating identification and banning agents from wearing face coverings. Democrats have insisted that the White House’s counteroffers are insufficient.

ICE agents’ deployment in airports would include “the immediate arrest of all Illegal Immigrants who have come into our Country,” Mr. Trump said. “I look forward to seeing ICE in action at our Airports.”

Republicans have slammed lawmakers across the aisle, blaming them for Americans’ travel chaos.

“TSA officers are doing their jobs,” the White House said on social media. “Democrats should do theirs.”

ICE has been virtually 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 security checkpoints at airports across the country. An increasing number of TSA employees have called out sick, having missed their first paycheck last week. They could miss their second full paycheck next week if lawmakers remain deadlocked.

Meanwhile, Tesla CEO Elon Musk offered to cover the salaries of airport security workers.