Trump Says He May Send National Guard to Airports Amid TSA Delays

President Donald Trump suggested on March 25 that he may deploy the National Guard to assist at airports nationwide as Transportation Security Administration (TSA) lines continue to grow.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump criticized Democrats for what he called a “mess” at U.S. airports, claiming that they want the country “to do badly” and “fail.”

The president has already sent Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers to help manage crowds at airport security checkpoints.

TSA officers have been working without pay for more than five weeks because of the partial government shutdown, which has affected most agencies under the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) umbrella.

Senate Democrats have rejected a Republican proposal that would fund DHS while temporarily excluding ICE’s enforcement and removal operations. Under the GOP plan, funding for ICE would be addressed later through the budget reconciliation process, allowing passage with a simple majority rather than the usual 60 votes in the Senate.

The proposal has drawn interest from the White House. Trump said he would review the plan, signaling cautious openness without fully endorsing it.

“They’re working on all of that,” he told reporters when asked about separating immigration enforcement funding from the broader DHS budget.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said that Democrats had submitted a counteroffer, with the stipulation that any agreement must include changes to ICE practices.

“We have to rein in ICE and stop the violence. We need reform,” Schumer said after meeting with Democratic senators.

He criticized the Republican plan for failing to address these concerns, promising that Democrats’ response would include “significant reform.”

White House border czar Tom Homan told CNN on March 22 that ICE leadership will help TSA where they can.

“We’re simply there to help TSA do their job in areas that don’t need their specialized expertise, such as screening through the X-ray machine. Not trained in that? We won’t do that,” Homan said.

“But there are roles we can play to release TSA officers from the non-significant roles, such as guarding an exit so they can get back to the scanning machines and move people quicker.”

DHS spokesperson Lauren Bis confirmed that “hundreds” of ICE officers would be sent to airports but did not reveal specific locations for security reasons.

Homan said the focus would be on “large airports where there’s a long wait, like three hours.”

ICE officers may also assist by checking IDs before passengers enter screening areas, Homan said.

Everett Kelley, president of the American Federation of Government Employees, which represents more than 50,000 TSA workers, criticized the plan, arguing that ICE agents are not trained for aviation security.

“Our members at TSA have been showing up every day, without a paycheck, because they believe in the mission of keeping the flying public safe,” Kelley said in a statement. “They deserve to be paid, not replaced by untrained, armed agents who have shown how dangerous they can be.”

During his presidency, Trump has sent the National Guard to cities such as Washington to help law enforcement combat crime.

He has since withdrawn National Guard personnel from some of the cities, including Chicago.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.