Trump says he will send ICE agents to airports if TSA funding stalls

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: USA Today.

Updated March 21, 2026, 12:37 p.m. ET


President Donald Trump said March 21 that he will order Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to do security at U.S. airports unless Congress strikes an agreement for funding TSA airport security officers "immediately."

Trump said in a social media post that he would have the ICE agents not only providing security at airports, but also arresting people who have entered the U.S. without authorization.

"I look forward to seeing ICE in action at our Airports. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!" the president posted.

In the past month, about 50,000 TSA airport security employees have been forced to work without pay, as a result of a partial government shutdown.

Read more: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2026/03/21/trump-tsa-shutdown-ice-agents/89262474007/

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Trump said in a social media post that he would have the ICE agents not only providing security at airports, but also arresting people who have entered the U.S. without authorization.

He obviously has ZERO idea about what CBP does, part of which is to screen people entering the country "for their papers".

TSA doesn't do that, CUSTOMS does. And CBP employees aren't getting paid either.

[LakeVermilion]

1. Good; at least we will see who they are.

Introduce them to the other half of America.

[JBTaurus83]

2. I thought he wasn't signing any bills?

[WestMichRad]

12. Except for the ones he likes...

Of course.

[twodogsbarking]

3. Fuck the training; full speed backwards.

[2naSalit]

4. What are THEY going to do?

Stand there and point their guns at people putting their stuff in trays?

Point their guns at the TSA workers and make them do their jobs without pay while being terrorized by ICE?

I guess ICE is fuckhead's answer to everything. His very own thug squads.

[twodogsbarking]

5. ICE, his personal hit squad.

[Hey Joe]

6. This is just stupid and cruel enough

To be a Steven Miller idea.
But maybe it’s good for all Americans to get a taste of ICEs gestapo tactics.
This won’t turn out well.

[muriel_volestrangler]

7. Expect to see ICE arresting airport staff if this happens

and people waiting to greet others at arrivals. Depending on their skin colour, of course.

[cstanleytech]

8. So, the Gestapo is going to be checking people's papers like in Indiana Jones and the Last crusade?

[ChicagoTeamster]

9. So he thinks they'll be okay with working without pay? And no firearms or body armor or masks?

[Turbineguy]

10. Air travelers could use a good beating!

Maybe shoot a few while you're at it.

[BidenRocks]

11. No travel problems.

Time to explore Los Angeles by Metro.
Senior discounts!

[eppur_se_muova]

13. ICE is more likely to start a hijacking than to prevent one. nt

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

14. Brilliant!!!!

Nothing will do more to hurt the travel industry than employing a bunch of untrained thugs at the airports.

[generalbetrayus]

15. Travel by train is getting to look more attractive

than flying every day now.

[Javaman]

16. Well if he wants to bring the airline industry to a crashing halt

That will do it

[BaronChocula]

17. ICE's new slogan

Fly to Honolulu.
Get shot in the face.

[0rganism]

18. So we're just normalizing the spectacle of his gestapo patrolling public places, now?

F47 can just decree he'll send in his paramilitaries whenever and wherever he likes, and we're supposed to be okay with it? Because ICE is the only DHS branch with any funding, besides whatever Elon maybe chips in? So we just accept that these masked vigilante goons will be patrolling the airports, demanding papers from travelers on the concourse, yanking terrified people out of snaking TSA lines for cavity searches at will? And the news media cajoles a docile public into accepting such deployment beforehand, in the name of security?

If things go this way, let's not pretend we live in an actual democratic republic having free & fair elections this November. We can drop the farce, rip off the bandage, and prioritize planning a general strike for January.