President Trump on Saturday threatened to station ICE agents in airports across the nation as soon as Monday 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.
President Trump threatened to send ICE agents to US airports amid the shutdown. AP
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.”
In a follow-up post, the President revealed he had already begun mobilizing ICE so that they could start working inside airports on Monday.
‘[I] have already told them to, “GET READY.” NO MORE WAITING, NO MORE GAMES,” Trump wrote.
In a post, the president slammed the Democrats’ “vicious and uncaring ways.”
US airports have been thrown into chaos during the shutdown. AP
Republicans have pushed to fund DHS, while Democrats have sought standalone funding for agencies like TSA that would exclude immigration operations.
“The Radical Left Democrats have hurt so many people with their vicious and uncaring ways. What they have done to the Department of Homeland Security, our fantastic TSA Officers, and, most importantly, the great people of our Country, is an absolute disgrace,” Trump wrote.
“If the Democrats do not allow for Just and Proper Security at our Airports, and elsewhere throughout our Country, ICE will do the job far better than ever done before! The Fascist Democrats will never protect America, but the Republicans will,” he continued.
The president added ICE agents would beef up security against illegal immigrants. AFP via Getty Images
“Just like the Radical Left allowed millions of Criminals to pour into our Country through their ridiculous and dangerous Open Border Policy, the Republicans closed it all down, and we now have the Strongest Border in American History.”
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.