Donald Trump has issued a threat to deploy Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents to U.S. airports as security lines become increasingly congested amid the ongoing partial government shutdown.
In a fiery post on Truth Social early Saturday, the former president stated, “If the Radical Left Democrats do not swiftly agree to a deal that restores freedom and safety to our Country, and especially our Airports, I will deploy our exceptional and patriotic ICE Agents to the Airports to conduct Security operations like never before.”
He continued, “This includes the immediate arrest of all Illegal Immigrants who have entered our Country, with a strong focus on those from Somalia, who have completely devastated, with the support of a corrupt Governor, Attorney General, and Congresswoman Ilhan Omar, the once-great State of Minnesota.”
Trump added, “I am eager to witness ICE in action at our airports.”
Airport security wait times have ballooned to over two hours in various U.S. locations due to a halt in TSA workers’ pay, leading to staffing shortages.
Employees will be required to continue working without compensation until the Senate reaches an agreement to reopen the government.
In the meantime, former head of DOGE Elon Musk has offered to pay the salaries of TSA workers during the funding impasse.
‘I would like to offer to pay the salaries of TSA personnel during this funding impasse that is negatively affecting the lives of so many Americans at airports throughout the country,’ Musk posted on X this morning.
Trump threatened to send ICE agents to airports as TSA employees work without pay
Wait times at TSA across the country have reached up to two hours as employees work without pay
TSA officers make about $50,000 per year on average, according to The New York Times. Musk, the richest man in the world, is valued at $814.3 billion.
On Friday, TSA’s acting deputy administrator threatened that airports may have to shut down altogether if the chaos continues.
‘It’s not hyperbole to suggest that we may have to quite literally shut down airports, particularly smaller ones, if call-out rates go up,’ Adam Stahl said.
A bill to fund the Department of Homeland Security failed to advance Friday in the Senate, meaning Stahl’s prediction could come closer to reality soon.
‘The reality of the situation is this is going to get worse before it gets better, if we don’t see any sort of action,’ Stahl said.
On the Senate floor, Schumer said he agreed that TSA needs to be reopened as quickly as possible — but not under the terms Republicans are offering, which is to fund the entire Homeland Security department.
Staffing shortages were caused by an ongoing partial government shutdown
Democrats are looking to fund TSA while continuing negotiations on Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Funding for the Department of Homeland Security expired on February 14 after the Senate failed to agree on a new budget. The agency oversees both TSA and ICE.
About 50,000 TSA workers have been working without pay for more than a month. Some can no longer afford to pay their rent, buy gas or food.
At least 366 agents nationwide have quit their jobs, the DHS said.
At Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, the lines are so long that they have spilled beyond screening checkpoints and into the baggage claim area.
Salt Lake City International Airport and Denver International Airport reported wait times of 30 minutes, while Dallas-Fort Worth saw delays of 24 minutes.
The Daily Mail contacted the Department of Homeland Security for more information.
