Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer condemned President Donald Trump’s plan to deploy U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents to airports starting Monday amid the ongoing Department of Homeland Security (DHS) funding standoff. Speaking on the Senate floor, Schumer called the move “impulsive” and warned it could worsen operational chaos at airports.
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Schumer stated that ICE agents lack the necessary training to work alongside Transportation Security Administration (TSA) personnel and may aggravate existing security delays. He highlighted that ICE had previously caused problems in other locations and criticized the absence of a clear plan for how the agents would be integrated. Schumer said, “Trump says, send them there. They send them there. And [Tom] Homan says they’re still drawing up plans with less than a day’s notice.”
The deployment is part of Trump’s broader pressure campaign on Democrats to approve DHS funding without attaching immigration enforcement reforms. The DHS shutdown has lasted over a month, leaving TSA employees unpaid, with many calling out sick or quitting. More than 400 TSA workers have resigned since the shutdown began.
Trump publicly announced the move on Sunday via Truth Social, stating that ICE agents would assist TSA officers who remain on the job despite the funding impasse. He accused Democrats of protecting “hard-line criminals” and warned they would criticize ICE’s airport presence regardless of its effectiveness.
This deployment follows heightened tensions in Congress over immigration policies and DHS budget approval, contributing to ongoing airport delays and operational disruptions nationwide.
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