ICE to Aid TSA at Airports as Shutdown Looms
ICE to Aid TSA at Airports as Shutdown Looms
ICE could join TSA at airports as a partial government shutdown tests staff morale and travel delays, with Trump threatening action and Musk offering to cover pay.
A plan to send ICE agents to assist Transportation Security Administration officers at airports is set to begin Monday, aiming to relieve beleaguered TSA teams as the Department of Homeland Security shutdown continues.
President Trump has threatened to deploy ICE agents to airports if the partial shutdown does not end, and Elon Musk has offered to cover TSA workers' pay, highlighting the mounting pressure on travel lanes as staffing gaps widen.
Staffing shortages at airports are already evident. TSA lines have grown longer, and DHS employees have missed their first full paychecks as essential services continue without pay. Some DHS staff have quit or called out sick amid the disruption.
Democrats are demanding changes to immigration enforcement in exchange for funding, while White House and lawmakers have traded proposals for weeks but remain far from a deal.
Officials emphasize that those considered essential will continue working without pay, but the strain on operations is felt in crowded security checkpoints and longer wait times for travelers.
While the current shutdown appears less disruptive than last year’s record-long impasse, the ongoing funding lapse is pushing airports to improvise and raises questions about how long security and travel disruptions will persist.
