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Trump threatens to deploy ICE agents to airports amid funding fight, vows arrests of illegal aliens
By Michael Dorgan
Published March 21, 2026
President Donald Trump warned he could send Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents to U.S. airports and arrest illegal aliens if Democrats don’t agree to his budget demands to end the partial government shutdown.
‘‘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. I look forward to seeing ICE in action at our Airports," Trump wrote on Truth Social on Saturday.
He concluded the post by writing, "MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN! President DONALD J. TRUMP’’
President Donald Trump warns he will deploy ICE agents to U.S. airports to arrest illegal immigrants if Democrats refuse to meet his demands to end the government shutdown. (Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images)
Trump's comments come as the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has been without new funding for roughly five weeks.
The impasse has left TSA agents working without pay, triggering staffing shortages and long airport lines nationwide, while raising concerns about the ability to prevent attacks.
Republicans have pushed to fund DHS, while Democrats have sought standalone funding for agencies like TSA that would exclude immigration operations.
TSA officers are considered essential employees and are required to report to work even during a shutdown, though pay can be delayed.
Atlanta airport security line forms near the All Gates entrance as passengers wait with luggage to pass through screening. (Fox 5 Atlanta)
Earlier Saturday, Elon Musk offered to cover the salaries of TSA personnel during the ongoing government funding standoff.
"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," Musk said in an X post.
Major U.S. airports have experienced severe delays, with security wait times exceeding 3 hours in some cases, due to high TSA officer absenteeism. Hardest-hit airports include Houston (HOU, IAH), Atlanta (ATL), New Orleans (MSY), and Philadelphia (PHL).
Passengers move through a TSA security checkpoint as agents conduct screenings at a Bush International Airport. (Fox 26 Houston)
Footage from PHL, shot early Thursday morning, showed hundreds of passengers waiting on elevators and escalators to clear a security checkpoint.
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This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-threatens-deploy-ice-agents-airports-amid-funding-fight-vows-arrests-illegal-aliens