The President of the United States, Donald Trump, threatened this Saturday (21) to send agents from the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to take over security at American airports. The condition is that Democrats approve funding for the Transportation Security Administration (TSA).
“If the Radical Left Democrats do not immediately sign an agreement to make our country, in particular our airports, free and safe again, I will transfer our brilliant and patriotic ICE agents to the airports,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, his social network.
The partial shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security has lasted five weeks. Without pay since February, TSA employees have been furloughed or resigned, generating long lines at airports in Atlanta, New York and New Orleans.
The impasse originates in January, when two Minneapolis citizens were killed by federal agents during immigration operations in Minnesota. Democrats moved to block funding for the department in response. On Friday (20), the Senate rejected approval of the resources for the fifth time.
As a partial solution, the Democratic minority is organizing a vote to fund only the TSA, keeping the rest of the department paralyzed.
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Breaking the security model in force since September 11th
The presence of immigration agents at airports would mark a change in the profile of American airport security, historically conducted by the TSA since the attacks of September 11, 2001.
The episode takes place less than three months before the start of the World Cup, hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico. The tournament is expected to move millions of international travelers through American airports starting in June.
In a second publication, Trump stated that he had already instructed ICE to be present at airports on Monday. “I eagerly await ICE’s arrival on Monday and have already told them, ‘Get ready!'” he added. Despite the DHS shutdown, ICE continues to operate, independently funded by record funding approved in 2025.
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