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- ICE agents to be placed in airports with the heaviest delays, confirmed by Tom Homan.
- ICE will not operate X-ray machines; agents will assist specialized roles and continue routine immigration enforcement.
- TSA staffing shortages produced long airport lines as unpaid officers work without pay and TSO training lasts several months.
- Senate Republicans blocked a Democratic effort to fund TSA; Democrats rejected GOP plans tying ICE funding to broader DHS appropriations.
March 22, 2026
The president said ICE would conduct “the immediate arrest of all Illegal Immigrants who have come into our Country” and take over airport security.
President Donald Trump announced plans to deploy Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents to airports nationwide starting Mach 23 as the standoff over funding for Department of Homeland Security continues. On Truth Social, Trump said ICE would conduct “the immediate arrest of all Illegal Immigrants who have come into our Country” and take over airport security if Democrats did not approve DHS funding.
The announcement comes amid long airport lines caused by Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers working without pay during the partial government shutdown. TSA scanner and security officer (TSO) training typically lasts several months, NBC News reports.
Trump’s border czar, Tom Homan, confirmed on March 22 that ICE agents would be strategically placed in airports with the heaviest delays, Politico reports. While agents won’t operate X-ray machines—tasks for which TSA staff undergo extensive training—they will assist with specialized roles and continue routine immigration enforcement.
Senate Republicans blocked a Democratic effort to fund TSA on March 21, while Democrats previously rejected GOP-backed proposals tying ICE funding to broader DHS appropriations.
ICE’s presence may heighten concerns among travelers, labor advocates, and Democrats who continue to push for TSA funding without tying it to ICE policy changes. The DHS shutdown, now extending into its second month, seems to have turned airports into a high-profile battleground for the ongoing partisan struggle over federal funding and immigration enforcement.
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