Trump Assigns ICE to Take Over Part of TSA Work, Alleviating US Airport Security Congestion

The U.S. federal government has partially shut down due to budget disputes, leading to staffing shortages at the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) as employees face unpaid wages. Airports across the country are experiencing hours-long queues and congestion. President Trump recently ordered the deployment of U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement (ICE) personnel to assist with security screenings to ease administrative pressure and speed up passenger processing.

White House Border Affairs Official Confirms Deployment of ICE to Take Over Some TSA Duties

White House Border Affairs Official Tom Homan confirmed that discussions are underway with leadership from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and TSA to develop a specific plan for deploying ICE to support airport security. The initial plan prioritizes large hub airports where wait times exceed three hours.

In a Sunday interview, Homan stated that the specific responsibilities and staffing levels of ICE personnel at airports need to be coordinated with TSA to identify where ICE can be integrated. He pledged to develop a plan to determine which airports will be targeted and where to start. Possible arrangements include ICE taking over the responsibilities currently managed by TSA for outbound security checks, allowing ICE to verify travelers’ identities before they enter screening areas.

Partisan Disagreements and Federal Employees Facing Unpaid Work Due to Bill Deadlock

The chaos at airports stems from Congress’s failure to pass funding for the Department of Homeland Security, leaving hundreds of thousands of federal employees—including TSA, Secret Service, and Coast Guard personnel—furloughed or working without pay. Deep disagreements between Democrats and Republicans over homeland security policies and immigration authority reforms have caused prolonged stalemates in negotiations. Although the White House has attempted administrative measures to mitigate transportation disruptions, the budget shortfall has significantly affected frontline personnel’s morale and attendance. In this context, the Senate is expected to advance confirmation hearings for the new Homeland Security Secretary nominee, Markwayne Mullin, possibly to stabilize law enforcement operations amid political turmoil and ensure homeland security functions continue despite budget constraints.

Major U.S. Airports Experience Congestion and Disruption

Security delays caused by the government shutdown have substantially disrupted air travel nationwide. Transportation Secretary Duffy noted that travelers cannot accurately predict how early they need to arrive at airports. At Atlanta International Airport, queues have stretched across terminals, forcing passengers to arrive hours early to ensure boarding. Similarly, New York’s JFK Airport has seen crowded and chaotic scenes, with staff using loudspeakers to maintain order.

Trump’s personnel deployment plan has sparked internal congressional criticism. House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries opposed the move, arguing that deploying customs officers without specialized screening training to civilian airports is not in the public interest and could blur the lines between immigration enforcement officers and civilian security personnel.

This article, “Trump Orders ICE to Take Over Part of TSA Duties to Ease Congestion at U.S. Airports,” first appeared on Chain News ABMedia.