Key takeaways:
- The DHS partial shutdown has caused severe airport disruptions, with long security lines and staffing shortages; ICE agents have been deployed to assist with crowd control but are not trained for TSA screening tasks.
- Over 400 TSA officers have resigned since the shutdown began, leading to increased delays, while key DHS operations continue functioning despite many employees working without pay; ICE employees remain paid through prior funding.
- Efforts to end the shutdown include a proposed compromise to fund DHS excluding ICE, which Democrats oppose without immigration restrictions; President Trump rejected this, linking DHS funding to a controversial voting bill, prolonging the standoff.
The ongoing partial shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has led to significant disruptions at airports nationwide, with long security lines and staffing shortages continuing into Monday. President Donald Trump ordered the deployment of armed Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents to at least 13 major airports, including New York’s JFK and LaGuardia, Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson, and Houston’s Bush Intercontinental, in an effort to alleviate the congestion caused by the shutdown. However, the exact role of these agents remains unclear, as ICE personnel are not trained to perform Transportation Security Administration (TSA) screening duties such as operating magnetometers or X-ray machines. Instead, they have been observed assisting with crowd control, monitoring lines, and checking identification.
The DHS shutdown, now lasting over a month, has left many TSA employees working without pay, contributing to a surge in absences and resignations. According to NBC News, more than 400 TSA officers have quit since the shutdown began, and the call-out rate reached nearly 12% nationwide on Sunday, with some airports experiencing rates as high as 40%. This shortage has exacerbated delays for travelers, prompting calls for a resolution to the impasse. Despite these challenges, key DHS operations such as TSA and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) continue to function, though many employees remain unpaid. ICE operations are also affected, but its employees are being paid through previously approved funding under a Republican-backed bill passed last year.
Efforts to end the shutdown have included discussions between Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) and President Trump about a potential compromise. The proposal would fund all of DHS except ICE, which Democrats have refused to support without new restrictions on immigration enforcement. Under this plan, ICE funding would be addressed separately through a Republican-led budget reconciliation bill that could pass without Democratic votes. Republicans view this approach as a viable way to break the deadlock, as it would allow Democrats to avoid directly supporting ICE funding, which has become politically contentious. Senator John Kennedy (R-La.) expressed optimism about the plan, stating that Democrats are amenable to funding DHS excluding ICE and that reconciliation could be used to fund ICE later.
Despite these discussions, President Trump rejected the compromise, insisting that DHS funding be tied to the passage of the “SAVE America Act,” a controversial voting bill opposed by Democrats and lacking sufficient support in the Senate. Trump reiterated his stance in a social media post and during a speech in Memphis, Tennessee, emphasizing the importance of voter identification and proof of citizenship as part of homeland security. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer’s office announced that Democrats would again seek unanimous consent to fund TSA alone, a measure Republicans have consistently opposed. The standoff has left travelers facing continued delays and uncertainty, with the possibility that Congress may cancel its upcoming recess to resolve the funding impasse. Meanwhile, some Trump allies have suggested using reconciliation to approve supplemental funding for military actions abroad, though it remains unclear whether such measures would gain enough support.
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