Trump Threatens to Deploy ICE Agents to Airports Amid DHS Shutdown Crisis

Washington, March 2026 : US President Donald Trump has warned that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents could be deployed to manage airport security if the ongoing funding deadlock over the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is not resolved immediately.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump said that if Democrats do not “immediately sign an agreement,” he would move ICE personnel to airports to take over security operations. He claimed the agents would deliver an unprecedented level of efficiency in handling airport safety.

The warning comes as the DHS shutdown has extended beyond a month, leaving thousands of frontline security workers without pay. Around 50,000 officers of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), which operates under the DHS, have been working unpaid since February 14, when Congress failed to renew funding amid disagreements over immigration policies.

The impact of the shutdown is becoming increasingly visible across major US airports. Passengers are facing severe delays at security checkpoints, with waiting times stretching beyond three hours in some locations. Airports in Houston, Atlanta, and New Orleans have been among the worst affected, highlighting the strain on an already stretched workforce.

The funding impasse stems from deep divisions in Congress. Republicans have been pushing for a comprehensive funding bill for the Department of Homeland Security that includes immigration enforcement measures, while Democrats have advocated for separate funding for essential services like TSA, excluding immigration-related provisions.

Efforts to break the deadlock have so far yielded little progress, prolonging uncertainty for both federal employees and travelers.

Adding another layer to the political standoff, Democratic Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman recently introduced legislation aimed at overturning a Trump-era proclamation related to H-1B visas. The proposed “Welcoming International Success Act” seeks to reverse strict wage requirements and high fees imposed on employers hiring foreign workers.

With no immediate resolution in sight, the prolonged shutdown continues to disrupt airport operations and intensify political tensions in Washington.

(The content of this article is sourced from a news agency and has not been edited by the Mavericknews30 team.)