Overview
- White House border czar Tom Homan said ICE agents will be at airports Monday to help move lines, calling the plan a work in progress coordinated with TSA and ICE leadership.
- ICE personnel are not trained for TSA screening, so officials indicated duties would likely focus on guard posts, line management, and support roles rather than operating X-ray systems.
- TSA shortages persist as hundreds of officers have resigned and callout rates hovered near 9–10% last week, producing multi‑hour waits at hubs including Houston, Atlanta, New Orleans, and Philadelphia.
- President Trump coupled the deployment announcement with a vow to carry out immigration arrests at airports, including a stated emphasis on individuals from Somalia, drawing swift criticism from Democratic leaders and unions.
- Elon Musk publicly offered to pay TSA salaries during the funding lapse, while Senate negotiations continue without a deal as Democrats seek ICE guardrails and Republicans push to fund DHS as a whole.