President Trump on Saturday threatened to station ICE agents in airports across the nation to ease the chaos and long security lines caused by widespread TSA absenteeism amid a partial government shutdown.
Trump called on Democrats to end the stonewalling that has cut off funding and paychecks for TSA screeners.
“If the Radical Left Democrats don’t immediately sign an agreement to let our Country, in particular, our Airports, be FREE and SAFE again, I will move our brilliant and patriotic ICE Agents to the Airports where they will do Security like no one has ever seen before,” Trump said on Truth Social.
The president added that ICE agents would also beef up security against illegal immigrants “with heavy emphasis on those from Somalia, who have totally destroyed, with the approval of a corrupt Governor, Attorney General, and Congresswoman, Ilhan Omar, the once Great State of Minnesota.”
Trump’s threats come as the partial shutdown enters its 35th day — leaving roughly 50,000 TSA agents to work without pay.
Thousands of others have called in sick since Feb. 14, and at least 376 have quit their jobs altogether
Before noon on Saturday, there were already 1,910 reported flight delays in and out of the US, and another 110 cancellations due to the madness, FlightAware data shows.
Security lines have stretched to two hours nationwide as the understaffed TSA agents desperately try to continue normal operations.
TSA’s acting deputy administrator, Adam Stahl, warned that the chaos has put airports throughout the country on the brink of closure.“It’s not hyperbole to suggest that we may have to quite literally shut down airports, particularly smaller ones, if call-out rates go up,” Stahl told CNN.
