Trump Threatens to Deploy ICE Agents to Airports as Democrats Block DHS Funding for Fifth Time
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) accused Democrats of “playing politics with the safety of American travelers.” Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) called the repeated blocks “irresponsible” at a time when the U.S. faces serious threats.
Tommy Flynn
President Donald Trump threatened on March 20, 2026, to reassign Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents to U.S. airports to handle security and begin immediate arrests of illegal immigrants if Democrats continue blocking funding for the Department of Homeland Security.
In a Truth Social post, Trump wrote: “If the Radical Left Democrats don’t immediately sign an agreement to let our Country, in particular, our Airports, be FREE and SAFE again, I will move our brilliant and patriotic ICE Agents to the Airports where they will do Security like no one has ever seen before, including the immediate arrest of all Illegal Immigrants who have come into our Country, with heavy emphasis on those from Somalia, who have totally destroyed, with the approval of a corrupt Governor, Attorney General, and Congresswoman, Ilhan Omar, the once Great State of Minnesota. I look forward to seeing ICE in action at our Airports.”
The threat comes as the partial DHS shutdown — now in its fifth week since February 14 — has caused severe staffing shortages at the Transportation Security Administration. More than 366 TSA officers have resigned, and national callout rates have hit a record 10.19%, with some airports reporting absences above 50%. Security lines have stretched two to three hours or longer at major hubs including Houston Hobby and Atlanta.
This marks the fifth time Democrats have blocked a homeland security funding bill. Previous attempts failed on February 25, March 5, March 12, and March 17. Democrats have insisted on attaching new restrictions on ICE and Customs and Border Protection operations before approving any spending, while Republicans have refused to accept those changes.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) accused Democrats of “playing politics with the safety of American travelers.” Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) called the repeated blocks “irresponsible” at a time when the U.S. faces serious threats.
Democrats, led by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, argue the Republican bill lacks proper oversight of immigration enforcement agencies and that funding should include reforms to prevent “abhorrent behavior” by ICE and CBP.
The impasse has left roughly 50,000 TSA officers working without full paychecks, forcing many to take second jobs or miss shifts entirely. Airlines and travel groups have urged Congress to end the standoff immediately as spring break travel peaks.
Trump’s proposal to shift ICE agents to airport security would represent a major escalation in using immigration enforcement personnel to address the crisis created by the funding deadlock. No immediate response came from TSA or Democratic leadership on the specific threat.