US3 min(s) read
Published 13:16 23 Mar 2026 GMT
The real reason ICE is being deployed to US airports has been revealed, as Donald Trump issues a haunting six-word threat.
On Sunday (March 22), the 79-year-old president told NewsNation that Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents will be deployed to airports "for as long as it takes" as travel disruptions worsen during the partial government shutdown.
The move comes as terminals across the country descend into chaos, with spiraling delays, long security lines, and mounting frustration among passengers after many Transportation Security Administration workers failed to report for duty following missed paychecks, The Mirror reported.
Travelers have taken to social media to highlight the scale of the disruption.
One passenger at Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport wrote on X after arriving early in the morning: "The line is WRAPPING AROUND BAGGAGE CLAIM!!! THIS IS PURE INSANITY!!!!!!"
Local officials confirmed that federal personnel would be stepping in to help manage the situation.
"We have been informed that federal personnel from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE-ERO) will be deployed to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport beginning tomorrow morning," they said.
Despite the deployment, White House border czar Tom Homan clarified that ICE agents will not take over TSA screening duties and will instead continue their usual immigration enforcement roles within airport settings, The Hill reported.
Trump suggested the airport chaos has shifted negotiations in Washington, claiming Democrats are now seeking a deal following his decision.
"Now that I did this, the Democrats want to make a deal," he said during the call, per The Hill.
"And I don’t think any deal should be made on this until they approve SAVE America."
The president has pushed for the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE America) Act, which would require proof of citizenship for voter registration and significantly limit mail-in voting.
Meanwhile, the Department of Homeland Security has remained shut since February 14, with Democrats rejecting funding proposals that do not include changes to immigration enforcement policies.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump also issued a pointed message about the deployment of ICE agents, writing: "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, are endangering the USA by holding back the money that was long ago agreed to with signed and sealed contracts, and all."
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