Trump ICE Airport Plan: President Says Agents Could Replace TSA Workers Amid Shutdown Chaos
President Trump proposes replacing TSA workers at airports with ICE agents to ease lines and target illegal immigrants. — Pixabay/Inset: The White House
President Donald Trump has proposed deploying Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents to US airports to manage security operations amid a partial government shutdown.
Click here for a new, updated story: ICE Agents Will Begin Working At Airports To Ease Lines, Border Czar Tom Homan Says
The suggestion was made around midday Saturday, March 21, in a Truth Social post, as the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) faces severe staffing shortages and hours-long security lines at airports nationwide.
“If the Radical Left Democrats don’t immediately sign an agreement to let our Country, in particular, our Airports, be FREE and SAFE again, I will move our brilliant and patriotic ICE Agents to the Airports where they will do Security like no one has ever seen before,” Trump wrote.
He also claimed the agents would focus on the “immediate arrest of all Illegal Immigrants,” with an emphasis on individuals from Somalia, referencing political tensions in Minnesota.
The proposal comes amid a partial government shutdown that began in February after Congress failed to reach an agreement on funding for the Department of Homeland Security.
The shutdown has left roughly 50,000 TSA employees working without pay, contributing to a 10-20 percent no-show rate at some airports, as workers quit or take unscheduled leave.
Trump said the ICE agents would both manage security checkpoints and conduct immigration enforcement, including arrests of undocumented individuals.
Trump’s post emphasized targeting immigrants from Somalia and referenced political criticism of Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar.
Amid the standoff, Elon Musk reportedly offered to pay TSA agents’ salaries to keep airports running, though the administration has not formally addressed the offer.
The government shutdown stems from a congressional impasse over immigration policy and ICE oversight. Democrats have pushed for stricter limits on ICE, including requiring judicial warrants for home entries and prohibiting agents from wearing masks, measures the Trump administration has resisted.
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The shutdown’s impact has been severe for travelers, with shuttered checkpoints and security lines stretching outside terminals at major airports.
Critics of Trump’s proposal argue that ICE agents lack the specialized training required to handle TSA security operations and that deploying them could further politicize airport security. However, Trump has said he looks forward to seeing ICE “in action at our Airports.”
