Trump Warns ICE Could Be Deployed to Handle Airport Security

President Donald Trump said Saturday that immigration agents could soon be assigned to airport security checkpoints if congressional Democrats refuse to support a Republican funding proposal for the Department of Homeland Security.

Writing on Truth Social, Trump warned that Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers might begin handling security duties at airports as early as Monday. He said the agents would carry out security operations at a level “like no one has ever seen before,” adding that they would immediately detain individuals who are in the country illegally. Trump said the effort would particularly target immigrants from Somalia.

If implemented, the plan would mark a major shift in how airport screening is normally conducted. Transportation Security Administration officers typically operate the checkpoints, although Border Patrol agents sometimes assist at certain airports near the southern border, according to the Washington Post.

A few hours after his initial post, Trump indicated the plan was moving forward. In another message, he said he had instructed ICE to “get ready,” according to reporting by the New York Times. The situation comes as many TSA employees remain off the job because their pay has been delayed during a congressional standoff over immigration enforcement limits. Trump has encouraged those workers to continue reporting to work despite the pay dispute.

John Sandweg, who served as an ICE official during the Obama administration, criticized the possible deployment. He said the idea appeared to use ICE in a way that advances political objectives and could function as a form of punishment. Sandweg also argued that the proposed operations do not appear to be focused primarily on public safety.

Meanwhile, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer called on Republicans to back a Democratic proposal that would provide funding for the TSA separately from the Department of Homeland Security. On the same day, the Senate voted down a Democratic attempt to move forward with legislation intended to reopen TSA operations and ensure workers are paid, according to the Associated Press.