President Donald Trump ordered federal immigration agents to U.S. airports to assist the Transportation Security Administration during a budget impasse, drawing concerns that their presence may escalate tensions among travelers frustrated over hourslong waits and screeners angry about missing paychecks.
Trump said he was proceeding with the plan to have immigration enforcement officers assist TSA by guarding exit lanes or checking passenger IDs unless Democrats agreed to fund the Department of Homeland Security. Democrats are demanding major changes to federal immigration operations and showing no sign of backing down.
What the Left Is Saying
Democrats have said they are willing to fund TSA and most other parts of DHS as they press for changes to immigration operations after the deaths of two U.S. citizens at the hands of federal agents in Minneapolis during an immigration enforcement operation. Senate Majority Leader John Thuna said there are 'lots of ideas swirling' and that people realize the situation 'has to get fixed, it has to be solved.'
Progressive lawmakers and labor advocates condemned the plan. Everett Kelley, president of the American Federation of Government Employees, which represents more than 50,000 TSA employees, said in a statement that ICE agents are not trained or certified in aviation security. '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,' Kelley said. 'They deserve to be paid, not replaced by untrained, armed agents who have shown how dangerous they can be.'
What the Right Is Saying
Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, called the new airport security plan a 'bad idea.' 'What we need to do is get the DHS issues resolved, we need to get the TSA agents paid,' she told reporters at the Capitol. 'Do you really want to have even additional tensions on top of what we are already facing?'
Other Republicans welcomed the effort. Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., said he didn't think it could hurt. 'They can help relieve some of the pressure,' he said.
White House border czar Tom Homan, tasked with leading the new airport security effort, said immigration officers could cover exits currently monitored by TSA agents, freeing them to work screening lines. 'We're going to be a force multiplier,' Homan said. He acknowledged there were limits, saying, 'I don't see an ICE agent looking at an X-ray machine, because we're not trained in that.'
What the Numbers Show
Hundreds of thousands of homeland security workers, including from TSA, the U.S. Secret Service and Coast Guard, have worked without pay since Congress failed to renew DHS funding last month.
DHS said 'hundreds' of ICE officers would be deployed. At Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, some travelers waited in line for nearly six hours at the main security checkpoint where only two TSA agents were on hand midafternoon to check IDs.
Senators advanced the nomination of Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., to be Trump's next homeland security secretary by a vote of 54-37, with two Democrats joining most Republicans. A confirmation vote could come as early as Monday.
ICE officers are largely being paid during the partial shutdown, thanks to an influx of cash from Trump's tax breaks bill last year.
The Bottom Line
The deployment of ICE officers to airports represents a significant new dimension in the ongoing budget standoff, with both sides dug in over immigration policy changes. Travelers continue to face extended wait times during spring break travel season, and TSA officers remain unpaid. The Senate could confirm Mullin as DHS secretary as early as Monday, potentially providing new leadership to address the situation. The priority for initial deployments will be large airports where wait times can reach three hours or more, according to Homan.