US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents are set to be deployed to airports to assist with long lines at security checkpoints, the Donald Trump administration announced on Monday, as the partial government shutdown affecting the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) continues.
Trump posted on Truth Social that ICE agents would go to airports “to help our wonderful Transportation Security Administration (TSA) Agents who have stayed on the job.” Border tsar Tom Homan said the agents would not screen passengers directly but would relieve TSA staff by covering entry and exit points, allowing trained officers to focus on security screenings.
The deployment follows weeks of hours-long airport security queues, as TSA staff have been working without pay since mid-February due to the funding lapse. The shutdown has also resulted in more than 400 TSA employees quitting, according to the White House.
The union representing TSA officers, the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), criticized the plan, arguing that ICE agents are untrained for airport security duties. “Our members at TSA have been showing up every day, without a paycheck, because they believe in the mission of keeping the flying public safe. They deserve to be paid, not replaced by untrained, armed agents,” said AFGE President Everett Kelley.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries also condemned the deployment, calling it “the last thing that the American people need,” citing risks associated with sending untrained personnel into sensitive airport settings.
Despite criticism, DHS spokespersons emphasized that the president is “using every tool available” to ensure air travel continues safely during the shutdown, while noting ICE officers are currently funded by Congress and available for deployment.
Lawmakers have attempted to pass legislation to fund DHS and provide payments for TSA agents, but the bill failed to advance in the Senate last Friday, prolonging the operational and financial strain on airport security staff.
