President Trump has already dispatched federal immigration agents to airports to support TSA workers who are working without pay amid the partial government shutdown.
President Trump may send National Guard to airports after ICE deployment
After sending ICE to assist the TSA earlier this week, President Trump said he would send the National Guard to airports if needed.
WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump said he is considering sending the National Guard to airports to ease congestion during a partial government shutdown.
President Trump sent federal immigration officials to airports across the country this week to help with crowd control and reduce excessive wait times.
“If we have to, we’re going to deploy the National Guard,” President Trump said at a fundraiser for Republicans in Congress on March 25, as Congress races toward a planned two-week recess without a deal to resolve the shutdown.
Transportation Security Administration employees have not received their full paychecks since the Department of Homeland Security shut down on February 14th. The federal government says that as the parliamentary fight drags on, staff absenteeism has increased, and worker cries and resignations have increased.
The Trump administration sent hundreds of Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to more than a dozen airports this week to speed up security lines and end the conflict in Washington. In Washington, Democrats are pushing for immigration enforcement reforms, including the use of body cameras, to restore funding to DHS.
ICE officers are legally unable to perform passenger and baggage searches, which require specialized training. TSA says it is cooperating with security at exit lanes and control lines.
“They’re doing an incredible job at the airport,” President Trump said.
The president said that as a result, queues at the airport have been reduced. President Trump told House Republicans that the National Guard could supplement the effort because it has more reservists than ICE personnel.
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