On Saturday, President Donald Trump proposed the idea of sending ICE agents to American airports to pick up the slack during the partial government shutdown. By Sunday, border czar Tom Homan announced that the plan was going forward.
But according to one report, ICE isn’t prepared for this latest assignment.
As reported by The Daily Beast, “Trump’s surprise proclamation to deploy ICE agents at airports across the country caught even his own Department of Homeland Security off guard.”
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CBS News reported that “officials at Immigration and Customs Enforcement have been scrambling to carry out a weekend directive from President Trump to have immigration agents provide security at airports amid the partial government shutdown.” CBS cited “multiple sources familiar with the internal deliberations.”
“I have no idea what we’re doing, one DHS source said, per CBS.
President Trump announced this morning that border czar Tom Homan, who was on Capitol Hill last week negotiating DHS reforms with Senators to end the partial DHS shutdown, will be “in charge” of the ICE agents who will be going to airports starting tomorrow to help TSA agents,… pic.twitter.com/jhDth7sAXn
— Craig Caplan (@CraigCaplan) March 22, 2026
“Lines at security checkpoints in airports across the country have increased in recent days, amid several hundred resignations and sick calls among TSA employees, who have been working without pay due to the partial shutdown,” CBS News reported. “Saturday marked the day with the highest number of nationwide call-outs when more than 3,250 employees called out. More than 400 officers have ‘separated’ from the agency, DHS said.”
ICE agents, once again, are not trained to work as TSA agents, and ICE agents sent out into the field without sufficient training have had disastrous consequences in the recent past.
Homan on ICE at airports: “ICE can check identification before people enter the screening area” pic.twitter.com/53gx2DgT3d
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) March 22, 2026
Homan made the Sunday show rounds this weekend.
“Homan suggested that ICE agents could provide site security at certain airports, as opposed to screening passengers and bags. He said having ICE agents secure exit and entry points at airports could allow more TSA agents to focus on screenings,” CBS News reported. “Homan did not directly say whether any ICE agents dispatched to airports would also conduct immigration arrests, but noted they routinely enforce immigration laws there.”
Photo courtesy of the Political Tribune media library.
