White House border czar Tom Homan announced on Sunday the deployment of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents to select U.S. airports beginning Monday. This initiative aims to enhance Transportation Security Administration (TSA) operations during a critical time.
The announcement follows President Donald Trump’s remarks about deploying ICE agents if Democrats persist in blocking Department of Homeland Security (DHS) funding. The ongoing partial shutdown has resulted in TSA employees missing two paychecks, leading to over 400 resignations and a staggering call-out rate at busy airports.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warned of worsening conditions, with TSA wait times already exceeding three hours at key hubs.
Focus on Major Delays
During an appearance on CNN’s “State of the Union,” Homan revealed that discussions were ongoing with acting ICE Director Tedd Lyons and TSA Administrator Ha Nguyen McNeill. He clarified that the ICE deployments will focus on airports with the most significant delays.
Homan explained that ICE personnel would take on certain non-specialized security functions to enable TSA agents to concentrate on screening duties. “I don’t see an ICE agent managing an X-ray machine because they lack the training, but there are areas in security where we can relieve TSA from those roles,” Homan shared.
Possible tasks include monitoring exit doors to prevent unauthorized access and verifying identification prior to screening areas. ICE agents already play a role in various airports for investigative work, including smuggling cases, while continuing their immigration enforcement efforts alongside these supportive tasks.
Details regarding the number of agents and the specific airports involved were still being finalized, according to Homan. “We’ll have a plan by the end of today,” he stated.
Dana Bash: Are ICE agents even REMOTELY trained to handle security at airports??
Homan: ICE agents are highly trained and are already at many airports. They can handle guarding exits so TSA officers can get back to the X-ray machines.
He’s so good. pic.twitter.com/MWswXk5YZ5
— johnny maga (@johnnymaga) March 22, 2026
President Trump previously reiterated this initiative in a Truth Social post on Saturday.
He outlined that ICE would report to airports on Monday under Homan’s leadership, describing the deployment as essential for maintaining security amid staffing shortages, assuring that agents would be effective in their roles.
Trump confirmed that the operation would move forward irrespective of funding negotiations, with Homan at the helm of implementation.
This deployment arises amid a partial government shutdown initiated by Democrats on February 14, which has left over 60,000 TSA agents working without pay. This marks the third instance of such circumstances within about six months.
Despite the shutdown, ICE operations remain fully funded and unaffected, thanks to previous legislation that allocated dedicated funds for ICE and related activities, allowing agents to fulfill their duties continuously.
This financial separation permits ICE to temporarily reallocate resources to support airport security without compromising its core immigration enforcement responsibilities across the nation.
