President Trump said over the weekend that Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents will be sent to U.S. airports starting Monday to help ease mounting delays, as staffing shortages continue during an ongoing funding dispute over the Department of Homeland Security.
According to administration officials, the plan—overseen by border advisor Tom Homan—will place ICE personnel alongside Transportation Security Administration officers at key airport checkpoints. Their role will focus on monitoring entry and exit points rather than conducting baggage screenings, allowing TSA staff to concentrate on security lines that have stretched for hours in some locations.
The move comes as a partial shutdown of Department of Homeland Security has left many TSA employees working without pay, contributing to widespread absences and longer wait times nationwide. ICE, which operates under DHS but received separate funding, has remained unaffected.
Trump signaled the shift in a series of statements, writing, “ICE will do the job far better than ever done before!” and later adding, “On Monday, ICE will be going to airports to help our wonderful TSA Agents who have stayed on the job despite the fact that the Radical Left Democrats… are endangering the USA by holding back the money.”
The decision arrives amid a heated standoff in Congress. Republicans and Democrats have failed to reach an agreement on DHS funding, with disagreements centered on whether additional resources for ICE should be tied to paying TSA workers. Lawmakers on both sides have traded blame for the disruption, as negotiations continue.
Officials say ICE agents could be deployed first to the busiest airports experiencing the most severe delays. While the administration argues the move will reduce congestion and improve traveler experience, critics warn it underscores the broader impact of the unresolved funding battle.
With no immediate resolution in sight, airport conditions may worsen in the coming days as staffing challenges persist and political tensions remain high.
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