The White House announced plans to deploy Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers to airports across the country to assist Transportation Security Administration (TSA) agents struggling with staffing shortages caused by the ongoing partial Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shutdown. White House border czar Tom Homan confirmed the move during an interview on CNN's State of the Union, emphasizing that ICE officers will focus on security measures already within their expertise.
'ICE has been at airports across the country for a long time,' Homan said. 'It's just expanding those things. These officers are well-trained in security, and they're well-trained in identification.' He added that ICE agents will alleviate TSA agents from certain duties to expedite traveler processing, though they will not be involved in tasks like X-ray screenings.
Pushback on Deployment Plan
When asked by host Dana Bash how 'well-thought-out' the plan could be given its rapid execution, Homan defended the strategy, stating, 'How much of a plan does it mean to guard an exit to make sure no one comes through that exit? We're going to do what we can to help TSA move those people through the line.'
‘While the Democrats continue to put the safety, dependability, and ease of our air travel at risk, President Trump is taking action to deploy hundreds of ICE officers, that are currently funded by Congress, to airports being adversely impacted,’ DHS said in a statement.
The partial shutdown, now in its second month, has left TSA agents unpaid for over 30 days, leading to widespread call-outs and resignations. More than 400 TSA employees have quit their jobs, exacerbating staffing shortages and raising concerns about airport security. The deployment of ICE officers aims to mitigate these disruptions while maintaining national security priorities.