Trump orders ICE agents to assist US airport security during DHS funding shutdown
Consensus Summary
US President Donald Trump ordered Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents to assist at US airports starting Monday, 25 March 2026, to address security line congestion caused by a partial government shutdown. The shutdown, now in its 36th day, has left TSA workers without pay, with over 400 resigning since 14 February, exacerbating delays at major airports like Atlanta and New York. Trumpâs move follows a funding impasse between Democrats and Republicans over Department of Homeland Security (DHS) regulations, with Democrats blocking funding unless ICE conduct reforms are implemented. ICE agents, not trained for airport security, would reportedly guard exits or check IDs to free up TSA officers, though details remain unclear. The deployment comes amid criticism over ICEâs conduct, including the fatal shootings of two American citizens in Minnesota in January, which has intensified political tensions. While bipartisan talks resumed in the Senate, no agreement was reached, and Trumpâs plan to deploy ICE agents remains a contentious response to the shutdownâs disruptions.
â Verified by 2+ sources
Key details reported by multiple sources:
- Donald Trump ordered Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents to assist at US airports starting Monday, 25 March 2026, to ease security line congestion caused by a partial government shutdown.
- The partial government shutdown began on 14 February 2026, and Transportation Security Administration (TSA) workers have missed their first full paycheck on 27 March, with hundreds more set to miss a second paycheck.
- More than 400 TSA workers have quit since the shutdown began, according to DHS and NBC News reports (cited in ABC and Guardian).
- ICE agents are not specifically trained for airport security, which is the domain of the TSA, as noted by multiple sources including ABC and Guardian.
- The Senate rejected a Democratic motion to take up DHS funding legislation on 23 March 2026, and a bipartisan group of senators met with White House officials on 23-24 March 2026 to discuss the shutdown.
- ICE agents were involved in the fatal shootings of two American citizens, Renee Good and Alex Pretti, in Minneapolis in January 2026, which has drawn criticism from Democrats and civil liberties groups.
- Tom Homan, named by Trump as border czar, is leading the effort to deploy ICE agents to airports and has stated the plan is still being finalized as of 24 March 2026.
- The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) oversees both TSA and ICE, and the funding impasse has led to a partial shutdown affecting these agencies.
Points of Difference
Details reported by only one source:
- Blake Wilbanks, a 43-year-old traveler, waited two-and-a-half hours early for his flight at Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport due to shutdown-related delays.
- TSA officers at John F Kennedy International Airport in New York were seen shouting through megaphones to manage chaotic crowds during the shutdown.
- Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy expressed concern about the uncertainty travelers face regarding wait times at airports, calling it a 'leverage point' for Democrats.
- Senator Markwayne Mullin's nomination to be the next DHS secretary was expected to be confirmed by late Monday, 25 March 2026, with Mullin framed as a 'steady hand' after Kristi Noem's tenure.
- ICE agents are already assigned at many airports across the country, primarily for criminal investigations related to smuggling, according to Tom Homan.
- Donald Trump tweeted on Truth Social on 23 March 2026, stating 'I will move our brilliant and patriotic ICE Agents to the Airports where they will do Security like no one has ever seen before.'
- Trump added in a subsequent post that ICE agents would 'immediately arrest all Illegal Immigrants who have come into our country,' including a focus on Somali immigrants, despite lacking evidence.
- The Guardian noted that USC 1357 permits arrests without a warrant 'within a reasonable distance from any external boundary of the United States,' but disputed whether ICE has statutory authority to pick up non-US citizens within the country without a warrant.
- Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer described recent talks with Republicans and the White House as 'productive conversations,' while Senate majority leader John Thune urged quick action to resolve the shutdown.
- The Guardian highlighted that TSA began requiring federally compliant IDs or passports for airline passengers at security checkpoints in 2025, giving the government clearer immigration status data.
Contradictions
Conflicting information between sources:
- ABC and Guardian both report that more than 400 TSA workers have quit since the shutdown began, but ABC cites NBC News as the source, while Guardian does not specify a source for this number.
- ABC states that the Senate was expected to advance the nomination of Senator Markwayne Mullin to be DHS secretary as early as late Monday, 25 March 2026, while Guardian does not mention this timeline explicitly.
- ABC reports that Tom Homan said the deployment of ICE agents to airports was 'a work in progress' and that details were still being finalized as of Sunday, 24 March 2026, while Guardian does not provide a specific timeline for when the plan was finalized.
- Guardian notes that Trump's post on Truth Social included a focus on 'immediately arresting all Illegal Immigrants,' a claim not explicitly mentioned in ABC's articles.
- ABC reports that TSA officers at JFK International Airport were seen shouting through megaphones to manage crowds, while Guardian does not provide this specific detail about the scene at JFK.
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