President Donald Trump said Sunday that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents will be deployed to airports beginning Monday to assist with security screening, as the ongoing partial government shutdown continues to strain the nation’s travel infrastructure.

The move comes as the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) faces severe staffing shortages, with roughly 50,000 screeners working without pay for weeks amid the funding lapse. Airports across the country have reported significant delays, with security lines stretching for hours in some locations during the peak spring break travel period.

“On Monday, ICE will be going to airports to help our wonderful TSA Agents who have stayed on the job,” Trump wrote in a social media post, blaming Democrats for withholding previously agreed-upon funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

The president had signaled the move a day earlier, suggesting ICE personnel could also be tasked with immigration enforcement at airports, including targeting individuals in the country without authorization. It remains unclear whether the agents deployed Monday will be limited to assisting with screening operations or will carry out broader enforcement duties.

Typically, airport immigration enforcement falls under the jurisdiction of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, raising additional questions about how ICE agents would be integrated into existing operations.

The shutdown, now entering its second month, stems from a standoff in Congress over DHS funding. Democrats have pushed to condition funding on changes to immigration enforcement policies following a controversial federal crackdown in Minnesota, while Republicans have rejected proposals to fund non-enforcement components of DHS, including TSA, separately.

As negotiations remain stalled, administration officials warn that airport disruptions could worsen in the days ahead, with passenger volumes rising and frontline security personnel continuing to work without pay.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)