Agadir – US President Donald Trump has confirmed he is sending Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents to US airports starting Monday.
Trump claimed that this measure is prepared to deal with the growing congestion at airport security checkpoints, as well as to support Transportation Security Administration (TSA) personnel, who have been impacted by a partial government shutdown.
He made the announcement alongside his border enforcement advisor, Tom Homan, who is expected to oversee the program.
In a statement posted on Truth Social, Trump delivered a politically charged statement: “On Monday, ICE will be going to airports to help our wonderful TSA Agents who have stayed on the job despite the fact that the Radical Left Democrats, who are only focused on protecting hard line criminals who have entered our Country illegally.”
“But watch, no matter how great a job ICE does, the Lunatics leading the incompetent Dems will be highly critical of their work,” he added.
Speaking on CNN’s State of the Union, Tom Homan stated that this measure is “about going to helping TSA do their mission and get the American public through that airport as quick as they can while adhering to all the security guidelines and the protocols.”
Homan suggested that ICE agents could take over certain basic security roles to allow TSA staff to focus on core screening duties. “We’re simply there to help TSA do their job in areas that don’t need their specialized expertise, such as screening through the X-ray machine – Not training that, we won’t do that,” he said.
However, for many Americans, especially immigrants, there is fear that the move has other motives — namely as part of the larger crackdown on immigration.
Planting immigration enforcement powers across the country is a major point of contention in Congress.
Democrats have pledged to withhold funds from the Department of Homeland Security until reforms are introduced, particularly after a crackdown operation in Minnesota in January ended with ICE fatally shooting two protesters.
Some of their demands include the identification of federal law enforcers, the introduction of a more stringent code of conduct for law enforcers, and a greater use of judicial warrants, among other proposals.
US authorities further claimed that this move is because security activities at airports have been affected since the shutdown began on February 14, with over 400 TSA officers reportedly quitting their jobs, while others have opted to go on sick leave. This has led to long lines at airport checkpoints across the country.