Border czar Tom Homan detailed the plan to deploy Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to U.S. airports beginning on Monday to aid TSA workers in the wake of the ongoing DHS shutdown.
Appearing on CNN’s “State of the Union” on Sunday with host Dana Bash, Homan first explained that he is working with the administrator of TSA and the director of ICE to develop a game plan.
“First of all, are ICE agents even remotely trained to handle security at airports?” Bash asked, to which Homan replied that ICE already operates at airports, and this new wave of agents would be helping in mostly non-specialized security-related areas.
“[We’ve] got TSA agents covering exits — you know, people that enter through the exits. Certainly a highly-trained ICE law enforcement officer can cover an exit, make sure people don’t … enter the airport through the exits, and stuff like that relieves that TSA officer to go to screening and to reduce those lines,” Homan said. “So, wherever we can provide extra security.”
The border czar went on to note that he doesn’t foresee ICE agents manning X-ray machines because they’re not trained to do so. However, agents can be utilized in broad security roles allowing TSA workers to focus on specialized passenger screening jobs.
Bash pressed Homan on the exact roles ICE agents would fill, but Homan noted that discussions are “a work in progress” and will be finalized by the end of the day Sunday.
“Are there specific airports that you’re thinking about starting with, and how many ICE agents are you considering deploying to do this?” Bash asked.
While discussions are ongoing, Homan said, he believes airports experiencing the longest TSA wait times should be the priority.
Bash pressed Homan on timing: “With respect, if you’re doing this in 24 hours, how well thought out could it possibly be again?”
Homan hit back: “How much of a plan does it mean to guard an exit to make sure no one comes through that exit?”
“And we were talking about security options, and these officers are well trained in security, and they’re well trained in identification, and we’re going to do what we can to help TSA move those people to the line,” the border czar added.
Bash attempted to catch Homan at the end of the segment, asking him: “Is it just going to be crowd control, or will ICE officers also be doing immigration enforcement while they are at the airport?”
“We do immigration enforcement at airports all the time,” Homan replied. “So it’s not going to change. This is about helping the men and women with TSA. They’ve lost several hundred employees; the lines are really slow because the shutdown. This is about going to helping TSA do their mission and get the American public through that airport as quick as they can while adhering to all the security guidelines and the protocols.”
NEWS: White House Border Czar Tom Homan confirms President Trump will send ICE agents into airports across the country tomorrow. “We’ll have a plan by the end of today what airports we’re starting with and where we’re sending them,” Homan tells @DanaBashCNN. pic.twitter.com/Ue2VNlpKw6
— State of the Union (@CNNSOTU) March 22, 2026
The Department of Homeland Security shutdown has been ongoing since February 14, leaving TSA agents — as well as FEMA and the Coast Guard — without pay. As a result, over 300 TSA agents have quit and lines at major airports across the country have begun to extend dramatically.
On Friday, the wait at Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson — the busiest airport in the United States — surged beyond two hours during the morning travel rush, and George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston, Texas, saw 90-minute wait times with one checkpoint closed altogether. Shocking videos circulating on social media have shown lines stretching significantly longer in recent days as the shutdown drags on.
President Trump recently blasted Democrats on Truth Social over the shutdown: “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. 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.”