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Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents will begin assisting TSA agents at airports across the country on Monday, President Donald Trump says.
The move comes as Trump and Republicans battle with Democrats over funding for the Department of Homeland Security. TSA agents across the country have gone more than a month without a paycheck as Democrats hold up funding in hopes of securing immigration reforms.
“On Monday, ICE will be going to airports to help our wonderful TSA Agents who have stayed on the job despite the fact that the Radical Left Democrats, who are only focused on protecting hard line criminals who have entered our Country illegally, are endangering the USA by holding back the money that was long ago agreed to with signed and sealed contracts, and all,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
“But watch, no matter how great a job ICE does, the Lunatics leading the incompetent Dems will be highly critical of their work. THEY WILL DO A FANTASTIC JOB. The great Tom Homan is in charge!” he added.
AIR TRAVELERS ARE HACKING TSA LINES DURING HOURS-LONG MAJOR AIRPORT WAITS
President Donald Trump is deploying ICE agents to support the TSA at U.S. airports. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
Trump first threatened to deploy ICE to airports on Saturday, demanding that Democrats “immediately sign an agreement” to fund DHS.
TSA WARNS OF SECURITY ‘THREAT’ AS AIRPORT CHECKPOINT CLOSURES TRIGGER MORE TRAVEL DELAYS
TSA officers are considered essential employees and are required to report to work even during a shutdown, though pay can be delayed.
Airports across the country have reported huge numbers of employees calling out sick or not showing up for work. More than 400 TSA employees have quit their jobs.
Travelers wait in line at a Transportation Security Administration (TSA) checkpoint at William P. Hobby Airport in Houston, Texas. (Mark Felix/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Earlier Saturday, Elon Musk offered to cover the salaries of TSA personnel during the ongoing government funding standoff.
VIDEO CAPTURES CRAZY AIRPORT CROWDS AS PASSENGERS POUR INTO TERMINAL AFTER SECURITY CHECKPOINTS CLOSE
“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 wrote on X.
Elon Musk offered to pay the salaries for tens of thousands of TSA employees amid the partial government shutdown. (Brandon Bell/Getty Images)
Major U.S. airports have experienced severe delays, with security wait times exceeding three 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).
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Footage from Philadelphia, shot early Thursday morning, showed hundreds of passengers waiting on elevators and escalators to clear a security checkpoint.
Fox News’ Michael Dorgan contributed to this report.
