President Trump threatens to deploy ICE agents to airports as a security measure, escalating a budget standoff that has left TSA staff unpaid for weeks.
WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump has threatened to deploy Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to provide airport security. The move comes amid a prolonged budget impasse that has left thousands of regular Transportation Security Administration personnel working without pay.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump warned Democrats to sign a funding agreement immediately. He stated he would “move our brilliant and patriotic ICE Agents to the Airports where they will do Security like no one has ever seen before.”
A follow-up post hours later indicated the plan could be enacted imminently. “I look forward to moving ICE in on Monday, and have already told them to, ‘GET READY,’” he wrote.
The threat follows an offer from tech billionaire Elon Musk to cover the unpaid salaries of TSA staff. Musk posted on X that he would “like to offer to pay the salaries of TSA personnel during this funding impasse that is negatively affecting the lives of so many Americans.”
The partial government shutdown, which began on February 14, has forced approximately 65,000 TSA employees to work without wages. The agency’s annual payroll is estimated at between US$2.5 billion and US$3 billion.
The funding lapse is causing significant operational strain. More than 300 TSA employees have quit since the shutdown started, according to the Department of Homeland Security.
Unscheduled absences have more than doubled, as reported by US media. Union officials say some officers are taking second jobs or relying on donations to get by.
Several major airports are now collecting gift cards and stocking food pantries for struggling staff. Airports in multiple cities have warned travellers to expect longer security lines and arrive much earlier than usual.
Johnny Jones, a Dallas-based official with the government workers’ union AFGE, highlighted the personal toll. “Numerous employees have reported to me that their bank accounts are at zero or negative,” he told USA Today.
Democrats in Congress are blocking new funding for the Department of Homeland Security. They demand changes to how ICE conducts immigration enforcement raids before approving any budget.
Their conditions include curtailed patrols, a ban on face masks for agents, and a requirement for judicial warrants before entering private property. This opposition stems from several violent confrontations captured in social media videos.
While the TSA is unfunded, ICE has maintained operations using money approved by Congress last year. The agency remains deeply unpopular with many Americans following aggressive raids.
In January, the killing of two American citizens protesting ICE actions in Minneapolis led Trump to fire homeland security chief Kristi Noem. In his initial post, Trump took aim at Minnesota, a Democrat-run state.
He claimed ICE agents would immediately arrest illegal immigrants who have “totally destroyed… the once Great State of Minnesota.”
The Sun Malaysia
