Donald Trump's border czar, Tom Homan, has refused to commit to reassigning Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents from US airports once the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shutdown ends. Speaking on CNN's State of the Union, Homan said the decision would depend on how many Transportation Security Administration (TSA) agents return to work after the shutdown, as hundreds have quit or refused to work without pay.
The shutdown, now in its second month, has caused sporadic delays at airports, with wait times unpredictable for travellers. Lawmakers left Washington on Friday without a deal to end the stalemate, as Democrats demand reforms to ICE, including demasking agents in the field and requiring judicial warrants for property searches. The Senate passed a bill to fund DHS excluding ICE, but House Speaker Mike Johnson refused a vote.
Trump ordered ICE agents into airports last weekend to assist as wait times climbed. Reports indicate they are not performing security screening but are on patrol and guard duties. The White House also directed DHS to find funding for TSA pay, a move some Democrats question as circumventing Congress. Homan took over DHS this month after Kristi Noem was fired over controversies including appointing Corey Lewandowski as de facto chief of staff.
The shutdown and immigration enforcement have damaged Trump's polling on immigration, which is at some of its lowest levels after the killings of two Americans by DHS agents in Minnesota. Republicans face a resurgent Democratic Party ahead of the midterms, with the airport chaos threatening their majorities in Congress.
