ICE agents' deployment in airports looms

WASHINGTON — US President Donald Trump on Saturday threatened to use Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to provide security at airports, amid a lingering budget standoff that has left regular security personnel going unpaid.

Trump wrote on Truth Social that if Democrats did not immediately sign a funding agreement, "I will move our brilliant and patriotic ICE Agents to the Airports where they will do Security like no one has ever seen before".

A couple of hours later, he posted:"I look forward to moving ICE in on Monday, and have already told them to, 'GET READY.'"

US airport security personnel have been working without pay since mid-February because of the partial government shutdown.

The lapse in funding is forcing thousands of Transportation Security Administration staff — who screen airport passengers, baggage and cargo — to work without pay as spring travel picks up.

The agency, which operates under the authority of the Department of Homeland Security, comprises about 65,000 employees, its website shows.

Democrats in Congress oppose any new funding for the DHS until changes are implemented to how ICE conducts immigration enforcement raids, after several violent confrontations emerged in social media videos.

Democrats have demanded curtailed patrols, a ban on face masks and a requirement that ICE agents obtain a judicial warrant before entering private property.

While ICE is part of the Department of Homeland Security, it has been able to maintain operations using funds approved by Congress last year.

But the TSA workforce is showing signs of stress.

More than 300 TSA employees have quit since the shutdown began on Feb 14, according to the DHS, while US media reported that unscheduled absences had more than doubled.

Some officers are taking on second jobs or relying on donations, union officials say, and several major airports are collecting gift cards and stocking food pantries for TSA staff struggling without pay.

Airports in several cities have asked passengers to arrive hours earlier than usual because of long security lines.

In the last several weeks, talks between the two parties on immigration enforcement have shown little progress. Republicans have pushed to fund the DHS, while Democrats have sought standalone funding for agencies like the TSA that would exclude immigration operations.

Agencies - Xinhua