Homan: ICE could still be installed at airports after TSA funding
Border Patrol Agent Tom Homan said ICE agents sent to assist the TSA during staffing shortages may stay on the job even longer.
South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham said he made a brief stop at Walt Disney World after a meeting in Florida, reacting to widely circulated photos of the Republican senator at an Orlando theme park during the partial government shutdown. The image, published by TMZ on Sunday, March 29, drew criticism as thousands of federal workers, including Transportation Security Administration employees, have been working without full pay for more than a month during the shutdown. Graham said he has already returned home and has voted multiple times to reopen the government.
“On Friday, I was invited to a meeting in South Florida with Steve Witkoff of the Trump administration and others to discuss the possibility of normalizing relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel,” Graham said in an emailed statement to USA TODAY. “Then I went to Orlando to meet some friends. I’m already back in South Carolina.”
Graham’s visit to Disney World came while the Department of Homeland Security remained closed and TSA employees have not received their full paychecks for weeks.
TSA employees worked without pay for about 44 days after the partial shutdown that began on February 13, but began receiving paychecks again on Monday, March 30, USA TODAY previously reported.
TMZ seeks photos of members of Congress
TMZ published the images after asking the public to submit photos of lawmakers on vacation while TSA agents worked without pay during the government shutdown.
TMZ wrote in an article published Thursday, March 26, “As TSA agents sell their blood to keep a roof over their heads, and members of Congress pack for a two-week vacation, we want photos.”
Days later, the outlet published photos of Graham visiting Walt Disney World, including a photo of the senator holding a bubble wand at Magic Kingdom.
Graham faces backlash
Some criticized Mr. Graham for visiting the park during the closure.
“The American people are really suffering and[Graham]is living it at Disney,” one person commented on one of TMZ’s Instagram posts.
California Governor Gavin Newsom’s press office weighed in as well, responding to a photo in X’s post saying, “Divas still need a vacation.”
Contributors: Mary Walrath-Holdridge, Eve Chen, Trevor Hughes. america today
Julia Gomez is USA TODAY’s trends reporter, covering popular toys, scientific research, natural disasters, holidays, and trending news. Email jgomez@gannett.com.
