U.S. President Donald Trump said he is prepared to deploy Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers to American airports as early as Monday if Democrats in Congress do not support a funding plan for certain units of the Department of Homeland Security.
In a Saturday social media post, Trump уточнил that ICE agents would not only assist the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) with standard screening procedures but would also be instructed to detain anyone suspected of being in the United States illegally.
“I will send our outstanding and patriotic ICE officers to the airports, where they will deliver a level of security never seen before, including the immediate arrest of all illegal immigrants arriving in our country, with a particular focus on individuals from Somalia,” he said.
Trump later clarified his intentions, writing that he “looks forward to deploying ICE on Monday” and has already ordered preparations to begin. “NO MORE WAITING, NO MORE GAMES!” he added.
The budget impasse has left TSA employees unpaid for five weeks. That has led to a rise in sick leave and caused significant delays at the country’s largest airports at the height of the spring break travel season. Democrats have repeatedly sought to pass standalone funding for the TSA, but those efforts have been blocked by Republicans.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said the president has a simple solution: “All he needs to do is tell his supporters to vote for our bill today, which will immediately fund the TSA.”
The idea of involving ICE in airport operations drew sharp criticism from Democrats. Senator Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut said that “the American public would be shocked to see ICE agents roaming airports, much as they break down doors in homes—it is a continuation of the same practice.” He added that the problem could be resolved in a single evening “if Trump simply agreed—or at least did not stand in the way,” instead of “issuing loud threats.”
Senator Cory Booker of New Jersey said that “people across the political spectrum find this outrageous,” although there was no immediate public criticism from Republicans.
In his posts, Trump also singled out Representative Ilhan Omar—a Democrat from Minnesota who has frequently been the target of his attacks.
Implementing the plan would mark a notable expansion of ICE’s public role—despite the administration’s recent efforts to soften its rhetoric around immigration arrests following controversial operations in Minnesota, during which two U.S. citizens were shot and killed. Last month, Trump ordered that operation to be scaled back.
Earlier this month, he also dismissed Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and nominated Senator Markwayne Mullin for the post—a move seen as an attempt to ease tensions.
ICE’s hardline tactics remain at the center of the budget dispute that has led to the shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security. Democrats insist that any funding for the agency must be accompanied by reforms to immigration enforcement procedures. Negotiations between the sides continued over the weekend.
Senate Republican Majority Leader John Thune said that “productive” discussions on funding the department had taken place the previous day. According to him, the administration has put forward legislative language that would allow the department to reopen while incorporating many of the reforms demanded by Democrats—and that “at some point, Democrats will have to agree.”
Amid the ongoing negotiations, Elon Musk wrote on X that he was prepared to cover the salaries of TSA employees for the duration of the funding lapse.