Trump threatens to send ICE agents to airports as shutdown continues | The IndependentNotifications can be managed in browser preferences.Jump to contentIndependentSwipe for next articleIndependent Bulletin homepageDownload our appAllNewsSportCultureLifestyleAndrew FeinbergSunday 22 March 2026 13:28 GMTTSA agents miss paychecks as DHS shutdown stretches onDonald Trump threatened to deploy Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents to airports starting Monday, citing a partial government shutdown that has left most of the Department of Homeland Security unfunded.Trump stated ICE agents would assist Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers and focus on arresting "Illegal Immigrants," particularly Somalis, at airports.ICE agents are not trained for airport security tasks, and airports are not a major source of undocumented immigration, making the effectiveness of such a deployment questionable.The shutdown has forced approximately 50,000 TSA workers to operate without pay for five weeks, leading to staff shortages, extended wait times, and warnings of potential airport shutdowns.Democrats are demanding provisions to address ICE abuses in any DHS funding bill, a request the Trump administration has refused, with a TSA spokesperson blaming Democrats for the ongoing airport disruptions.In fullTrump will deploy ICE agents into airports Monday unless DHS funding bill is passed: ‘Security like no one has ever seen’Thank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in