Border Tsar Promises ICE Agents at Airports Monday To Ease Travel Chaos

Following a series of social media posts by President Trump, Border Tsar Tom Homan appeared on Sunday’s news programs to detail plans for deploying U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers to major airports starting Monday. The move is a direct response to staffing shortages at the Transportation Security Administration caused by the month-long partial government shutdown.In an appearance on CNN’s State of the Union, Mr. Homan clarified that the deployment is intended to provide operational relief rather than technical screening. ICE agents, he says, will not be operating X-ray machines — tasks requiring specialized TSA training — they will take over “non-significant roles” such as guarding terminal exits and managing security lines.The goal, Mr. Homan says, is to free up remaining TSA personnel to focus entirely on passenger screening to reduce the massive wait times currently plaguing travelers.Mr. Trump said Saturday that the ICE agents would also be arresting undocumented immigrants if Democrats refuse to meet his demands for ending the shutdown. The president issued the ultimatum on Saturday via Truth Social, hours after the administration offered a package of new concessions to Democrats. He explicitly targeted lawmakers and specific immigrant communities.“If the Radical Left Democrats don’t immediately sign an agreement to let our Country, in particular, our Airports, be FREE and SAFE again, I will move our brilliant and patriotic ICE Agents to the Airports where they will do Security like no one has ever seen before, including the immediate arrest of all Illegal Immigrants who have come into our Country, with heavy emphasis on those from Somalia, who have totally destroyed, with the approval of a corrupt Governor, Attorney General, and Congresswoman, Ilhan Omar, the once Great State of Minnesota,” Mr. Trump wrote. He added, “I look forward to seeing ICE in action at our Airports. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN! President DONALD J. TRUMP.”Mr. Trump’s remarks come as the partial government shutdown crosses the one-month mark. The Department of Homeland Security, which oversees both ICE and the Transportation Security Administration along with other agencies, has been without funding for roughly five weeks, forcing TSA agents to work without immediate pay. Congress approved funding for most of the federal government on February 3 but left DHS unfunded while the parties negotiate over Democratic demands for new restrictions on ICE enforcement activities, including a ban on face masks and a requirement that the agency obtain judicial warrants before entering private homes.The Democrats have offered to fund other DHS divisions, including TSA, while negotiations continue but Republicans are pushing to fully fund the DHS. The White House offered additional immigration enforcement concessions at a Friday evening meeting between border czar Tom Homan and a bipartisan group of senators, according to a Politico report.Because TSA officers are classified as essential employees, they are required to report to work even though they cannot be paid until the shutdown ends. This has triggered massive staffing shortages, high absenteeism, and severe security checkpoint delays nationwide.Major travel hubs — including airports in Houston, Atlanta, New Orleans, and Philadelphia — have reported wait times exceeding three hours. Footage from Philadelphia earlier this week showed hundreds of passengers backed up on escalators and elevators waiting to clear security.As the crisis at the airports deepens, billionaire Elon Musk stepped in on Saturday with an unprecedented proposal to privately fund the federal workers.“I would like to offer to pay the salaries of TSA personnel during this funding impasse that is negatively affecting the lives of so many Americans at airports throughout the country,” Mr. Musk announced in a post on X.It remains unclear how Mr. Musk’s proposed financial arrangement would be implemented or if it is legally permissible for a private citizen to directly fund the salaries of federal employees. With TSA’s total payroll for the current year estimated at more than $4.5 billion, the offer could cost Mr. Musk as much as $90 million a week.On Friday evening, the White House presented additional immigration enforcement concessions to Democrats, according to a Politico report. The move came as border czar Tom Homan held a second meeting with a bipartisan group of senators working to resolve the shutdown, according to lawmakers present.Republican senators expressed hope after the session that Democrats will review and respond to the Trump administration’s expanded proposal over the weekend. The senators did not itemize the latest concessions but said the offer includes measures designed specifically to address Democratic concerns.Democrats have voiced frustration that recent proposals from Republicans and the White House lacked official legislative text. To remedy this, Republicans delivered newly drafted legislation on Friday, which was prepared by the White House, one attendee told Politico.The bipartisan group aims to reconvene this weekend while the Senate remains in session to handle other legislative matters. However, Republicans indicated that the schedule now depends on the Democrats, who are expected to present a counteroffer.

Border Tsar Promises ICE Agents at Airports Monday To Ease Travel Chaos

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