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Trump demands SAVE America Act be tied to DHS funding amid airport chaos
By Louis Casiano
Published March 23, 2026
President Donald Trump on Monday said he wants to tie the SAVE America Act to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) funding as the stalemate between lawmakers on both sides of the political aisle continues.
Speaking at a roundtable in Memphis, Tennessee, to tout the Memphis Safe Task Force (MSTF), a multi-agency, federal-led law enforcement initiative launched in late 2025 to combat violent crime in the city, Trump spoke of the chaos unfolding at airports across the country amid a lapse in DHS funding.
He also called for the passage of the SAVE America Act, which would require proof of citizenship to vote.
"We want voter ID, we want proof of citizenship as part of our funding," he said. "We want to merge them so that we can get the great, big, beautiful bill in action."
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President Donald Trump participates in a roundtable discussion on public safety at a Tennessee Air National Guard Base in Memphis, Tenn. Trump said the SAVE America Act should be tied in with the funding for the Department of Homeland Security. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
"I'm suggesting very strongly that the Republicans, in going for the SAVE America Act, that you welded into exactly this because voter ID is part of Homeland Security," he added. "Think of it. We're talking about two separate items, but they're really the same. Voter ID is part of Homeland Security and citizenship. Proof of citizenship is part of homeland security. So I think it should be welded in. I think it should be together."
Trump urged Republicans to put the pressure on Democrats to include voter ID requirements with legislation to reopen the DHS.
"I'm suggesting strongly to the Republican Party, don't make any deal on anything," he said. "The most important thing we can have is what's called the SAVE America Act. Don't make any deal on anything unless you include voter ID, and you have to be a citizen to vote."
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President Donald Trump arrives to participate in a roundtable discussion on public safety at a Tennessee Air National Guard Base on Monday in Memphis, Tenn., with from left, Gov. Bill Lee, R-Tenn., Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Trump, Attorney General Pam Bondi and Gady Serralta, Director of the U.S. Marshals Service. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
Republicans have pushed for voter ID in an effort to shore up the federal election system. Democrats remain opposed, saying the requirement would disenfranchise millions of voters.
Meanwhile, many airports across the country have seen long security lines after Congress failed to reach an agreement on DHS funding.
While most other federal agencies are fully funded and open, DHS has been operating without a budget for more than one month. Transportation Security Administration (TSA) workers have not been paid, leading to increased callouts and longer security lines, sometimes up to three hours in major hubs.
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On Monday, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents were deployed to airports to assist the TSA with managing crowds and other duties.
"We're trying to release TSA resources to get into positions where they really have expertise," he said on "Fox News Sunday." "We're going to relieve TSA and augment TSA… and hopefully it will move the lines quicker."
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-demands-save-america-act-tied-dhs-funding-amid-airport-chaos