Washington: US President Donald Trump has warned that he may deploy Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents to provide security at airports, as the ongoing Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shutdown enters its second month, leaving Transportation Security Administration (TSA) personnel unpaid.
President Calls for Immediate Funding Agreement
Trump wrote on Truth Social that if Democrats do not “immediately sign an agreement,” he will “move our brilliant and patriotic ICE Agents to the Airports where they will do Security like no one has ever seen before.” The threat comes after the US Senate failed on Friday to advance a House-passed bill to fund the DHS, with bipartisan disagreements over immigration enforcement cited as the primary obstacle, Xinhua news agency reported.
Impact on Airport Security and TSA Personnel
Approximately 50,000 TSA officers have been working without pay since February 14, when Congress let DHS funding lapse due to disputes over immigration enforcement. Major US airports, including those in Houston, Atlanta, and New Orleans, are experiencing severe security delays, with wait times exceeding three hours in some cases.
Stalemate Over Immigration Enforcement
Over the past five weeks, negotiations between Republicans and Democrats have made little progress. Republicans are pushing to fully fund DHS, while Democrats are advocating for separate funding for agencies like the TSA, excluding immigration operations.
H-1B Visa Wage Proclamation Under Legislative Review
Earlier this month, Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman introduced the Welcoming International Success Act in the House of Representatives. The bill seeks to nullify Trump’s September 2025 proclamation that imposed strict wage requirements and a $100,000 fee on employers hiring H-1B visa workers, aiming to ease restrictions for international talent.
The DHS shutdown and ongoing funding impasse continue to affect airport operations nationwide, raising concerns over passenger safety and labor conditions for federal security personnel.
