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President Donald Trump announced that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents will be sent to airports to assist TSA agents facing massive security lines amid the partial government shutdown in a post shared on his Truth Social account Sunday (March 22) morning.
"On Monday, ICE will be going to airports to help our wonderful TSA Agents who have stayed on the job despite the fact that the Radical Left Democrats, who are only focused on protecting hard line criminals who have entered our Country illegally, are endangering the USA by holding back the money that was long ago agreed to with signed and sealed contracts, and all. But watch, no matter how great a job ICE does, the Lunatics leading the incompetent Dems will be highly critical of their work. THEY WILL DO A FANTASTIC JOB. The great [White House Border Czar] Tom Homan is in charge!!! President DJT," Trump wrote.
Homan told CNN that the agents would assist with security entrances in an effort to ease TSA workload created by the partial government 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,” Homan said during an appearance on State of the Union with Dana Bash.
Airports nationwide have seen long security lines after TSA officers have quit their jobs or called out sick as they're forced to continue working without pay.
“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 training 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, and we’re just simply helping our fellow officers at TSA.”
ICE has faced widespread criticism amid the killings of two American protesters -- Reneé Good and Alex Pretti -- weeks apart earlier this year and several migrants dying while detained at facilities, with U.S. secretary of homeland security Kristi Noem set to be replaced by Sen. Markwayne Mullin affective March 31.