A Transportation Security Administration officer and union leader from Colorado on Monday criticized the Trump administration's decision to deploy Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers to airports, saying the measure does not address the root cause of staffing shortages that have created lengthy security wait times across the country.

Angela Grana, a TSA officer and representative with the American Federation of Government Employees, appeared on Fox News's 'America Reports' to discuss the deployment of ICE officers to airports nationwide. The officers began arriving at multiple airports on Monday as part of the administration's response to the Department of Homeland Security shutdown that began Feb. 14.

What the Left Is Saying

Democratic lawmakers have pushed for reforms to immigration enforcement procedures following the fatal shooting of U.S. citizens Renee Good and Alex Pretti by federal agents in Minneapolis earlier this year. That demand for accountability and procedural changes led Democrats to block full funding for DHS, resulting in the partial shutdown that has affected TSA operations.

Senate Democrats have attempted to pass standalone funding for TSA separate from the broader DHS bill, arguing that airport security should not be held hostage to immigration policy disputes. Progressives have emphasized that TSA officers are essential workers who should not be caught in the middle of congressional negotiations over immigration enforcement.

What the Right Is Saying

Republicans have resisted Democratic efforts to fund TSA separately, arguing that DHS must be addressed as a unified department. The White House has defended its decision to deploy ICE officers to airports, with border czar Tom Homan stating the additional personnel will relieve TSA officers from secondary duties such as managing entry and exit lanes to security checkpoints.

Homan, speaking on Fox News's ' Hannity' on Monday, said ICE officers will also make arrests at airports, focusing on criminal activity including human trafficking, sex trafficking, and money smuggling. He noted that Homeland Security Investigations and Customs and Border Protection already maintain a presence at airports nationwide, and the new deployment builds on existing interagency cooperation.

After a Monday meeting at the White House, Senate Republicans indicated President Trump may be open to funding non-immigration agencies within DHS, potentially creating a path to resolving the shutdown.

What the Numbers Show

Since the DHS shutdown began on Feb. 14, more than 400 TSA officers have resigned from their positions, according to union officials. Call-out rates — the percentage of scheduled employees who fail to report for work — have increased significantly, creating staffing shortages at airports nationwide.

At George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston, wait times at Terminal A South and Terminal E have reached approximately four hours, making it one of the most severely impacted facilities in the country. These are currently the only checkpoints open at that airport.

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act, passed earlier this year, provided funding for ICE and Customs and Border Protection, but not for TSA operations that depend on annual appropriations.

The Bottom Line

The deployment of ICE officers to airports addresses one symptom of the DHS shutdown — reduced personnel in non-screening roles — but does not resolve the fundamental staffing crisis facing TSA. Union leaders and some lawmakers argue that the real solution lies in Congress reaching a budget agreement that includes pay for essential TSA workers, who are currently required to work without compensation.

What to watch: Whether Senate Republicans follow through on signals they may support funding non-immigration agencies within DHS, and whether such a measure could win Democratic support to end the partial shutdown affecting thousands of TSA officers.

Grana, speaking on behalf of TSA workers, framed the issue as a matter of basic fairness. 'We don't understand why we're not getting paid,' she said. 'We work, we secure the airports, we make sure another 9/11 doesn't happen again.'