Trump Sends ICE Agents to U.S. Airports as DHS Shutdown Enters Sixth Week and 300+ TSA Workers Quit

President Trump ordered Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to be deployed to U.S. airports this week as the partial shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security entered its sixth week, creating a compounding security crisis at airports nationwide where more than 300 TSA officers have formally resigned and hundreds more are calling out sick each day in protest over unpaid wages. White House border czar Tom Homan announced the deployment on Thursday, saying, "We'll put together a plan today and we'll execute tomorrow," promising that ICE agents would handle security at "airport exits and entrances" to free up Transportation Security Administration officers for passenger screening duties.

The DHS shutdown — the longest and most disruptive partial government shutdown involving a single department in recent memory — began on February 14, 2026, when Senate Democrats blocked a Republican funding bill, citing concerns about the administration's use of ICE and Border Patrol in ways they characterized as unconstitutional overreach. Democrats have sought legislative reforms to ICE enforcement before approving a full funding bill, while Republicans have refused to fund the department piecemeal, blocking measures that would have kept TSA and FEMA operational while excluding ICE from the funding package.

The real-world toll on American travelers has been dramatic and growing through the spring travel season. At Houston's George Bush Intercontinental Airport on March 14, a single-day callout rate of 55 percent was recorded among TSA personnel, forcing the agency to cut screening lanes and causing security wait times to stretch beyond two hours. Similar crises were documented in Atlanta, New Orleans, and Miami. TSA employees who reported to work said they are doing so without pay, with many now receiving paychecks showing $0 balances. More than 300 have formally resigned since the shutdown began, and vacancy rates at some of the nation's busiest airports have forced officials to consider closing security checkpoints entirely.

The American Federation of Government Employees, which represents tens of thousands of TSA workers, sharply criticized the administration's decision to deploy ICE agents to airports. "ICE agents are not trained or certified in aviation security," the union said in a statement. "This does not fill a gap. It creates one." Security experts raised concerns that deploying enforcement agents primarily trained in immigration operations into a complex airport security environment could introduce new vulnerabilities at a time when security staffing is already critically depleted. The administration has also proposed having ICE personnel assist at airport exits and baggage claim areas, watching for individuals sought on immigration enforcement warrants.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune threatened to cancel the chamber's two-week Easter recess unless negotiators strike a deal on DHS funding before the spring travel season reaches its peak. As of Sunday, talks remained ongoing with White House border czar Tom Homan meeting for a second consecutive day with a bipartisan group of senators. Senator Patty Murray cautioned that "we're still a long ways apart" after one recent session, but the White House's increased engagement with bipartisan negotiators offered some optimism for resolution. The TSA official who oversees workforce planning warned privately that if the shutdown continues past April, some regional airports may be forced to close security checkpoints entirely during peak travel hours.