President Donald Trump has threatened to deploy federal immigration agents to US airports on Monday if Democrats do not agree to measures aimed at strengthening security and immigration enforcement. In a post on Truth Social on Saturday, Trump said he would move Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents to airports unless the 'Radical Left Democrats' sign an agreement to make airports 'free and safe'. Airport security is currently handled by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), while ICE handles immigration enforcement; both are under the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
The threat comes as a DHS funding bill has been blocked for the fifth time since the partial government shutdown began in mid-February. On Saturday, the Senate rejected a Democratic motion to take up legislation to reopen the TSA. Democrats are demanding changes in immigration enforcement operations, including a new code of conduct for federal law enforcement officers, after an immigration crackdown in Minneapolis led to clashes that resulted in the deaths of two protesters.
Trump's remarks also come amid reports that a growing number of TSA agents are calling out sick or leaving the agency due to financial struggles. The DHS has confirmed that at least 366 TSA agents have quit since the shutdown began on 14 February. Placing ICE at airports would follow a previous move requiring passengers to show federally compliant identification, giving the government a clearer picture of travellers' immigration status.
However, legal experts dispute whether ICE has statutory authority to arrest non-citizens without a warrant within the US, including at airports. The relevant legal code permits arrests without a warrant only within a reasonable distance from the external boundary of the United States. Despite the standoff, there have been signs of progress, with bipartisan Senate meetings with White House officials continuing over recent days.
