Homan Confirms ICE Airport Deployment Plan Starting Monday as Trump Links Move to DHS Shutdown and Mass Immigration Arrests
White House border czar Tom Homan confirmed on CNN that ICE agents will begin deploying to U.S. airports starting Monday to assist with TSA functions and ease long lines, though key details — how many agents, which airports and exact timelines — were still being worked out. President Trump tied the move to the DHS funding standoff, saying he had told ICE to "GET READY" and that agents would carry out arrests of "all Illegal Immigrants" with a "heavy emphasis" on Somalis, a plan that drew sharp Democratic criticism as airports grapple with staffing shortages and long wait times amid the partial shutdown.
📌 Key Facts
- Elon Musk posted on X offering to personally pay TSA salaries hours before former President Trump’s post; outlets estimated covering TSA pay could cost more than $40 million per week and noted U.S. law generally bars government employees from receiving outside compensation, raising legal and practical questions about the offer.
- Trump used Truth Social to threaten that ICE would be sent to airports 'on Monday' unless Democrats fund DHS, ordered ICE to 'GET READY,' and explicitly framed the move as a response to Democrats 'holding back the money' for DHS.
- Tom Homan, now the White House border czar and former acting ICE director, confirmed on CNN that ICE agents will be deployed to U.S. airports starting Monday to help ease long TSA lines; he said agents would cover exits and other non‑specialized functions so TSA can focus on screening, but key details (how many agents, which airports and exact timelines) had not been finalized.
- Trump and administration statements included explicitly punitive enforcement rhetoric — saying ICE would carry out 'immediate arrest of all Illegal Immigrants' with 'heavy emphasis' on those from Somalia — though no concrete operational plan for mass arrests at airports has been released.
- TSA operations are under acute strain amid the DHS funding impasse: at least 376 TSA workers have quit since a Feb. 14 partial shutdown, call‑out rates spiked (including more than half in Houston and roughly a third in Atlanta and New Orleans), some checkpoints have closed (e.g., Philadelphia closed three), and passengers have faced waits of two to three hours at major hubs.
- Political stakes: Democrats have linked DHS funding to demands for ICE reforms after the Minneapolis incident that killed two protesters (Renee Good and Alex Pretti); Senate Democrats tried a TSA‑only funding bill that was blocked, and closed‑door bipartisan talks involving Senate leaders, the White House and Homan were described as 'productive' but had shown limited movement.
- Official reactions and warnings: House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries warned that deploying 'untrained ICE agents' to airports could 'brutalize or kill' travelers; Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and the acting deputy TSA administrator warned lines could worsen and some airports might temporarily close; the U.K. Foreign Office warned its citizens of longer queues at some U.S. airports.
📊 Relevant Data
The Department of Homeland Security workforce is composed of 14.32% Black or African American employees, compared to 13.6% of the U.S. population, potentially leading to disproportionate impacts on Black workers during shutdowns and attrition.
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) — U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
Approximately 260,000 people of Somali descent live in the U.S. as of 2024, including both immigrants and U.S.-born individuals.
The civil war in Somalia, ongoing since 1991, has driven the migration of hundreds of thousands of Somalis, with the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program facilitating resettlement under the Refugee Act of 1980.
Somalia Refugee Crisis Explained — USA for UNHCR
📰 Source Timeline (10)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
March 22, 2026
2:45 PM
Trump and his border czar say ICE will arrive at airports on Monday
New information:
- Confirms on‑the‑record that ICE agents will begin arriving at U.S. airports on Monday, not just 'as soon as next week.'
- Provides a direct Trump Truth Social quote ordering ICE to 'GET READY' and declaring 'NO MORE WAITING, NO MORE GAMES!'
- Adds Tom Homan’s CNN explanation that 'a highly‑trained ICE law enforcement officer can cover an exit, that relieves TSA to go to screening,' clarifying the intended division of labor.
- Includes Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy’s ABC warning that security lines will 'get much worse' this week and that more TSA agents are likely to quit by Friday if pay is not restored.
- Restates Trump’s claim that ICE will conduct 'immediate arrest of all Illegal Immigrants who have come into our Country, with heavy emphasis on those from Somalia,' underscoring the explicitly targeted enforcement rhetoric.
- Details that Democrats’ demands for ICE reforms are tied to the fatal shooting of two U.S. citizens, Renee Good and Alex Pretti, in Minneapolis, adding context to the funding standoff.
2:35 PM
ICE Will Deploy to Airports to Ease Long Lines, Border Czar Confirms
New information:
- Tom Homan, now White House border czar, confirmed on CNN’s 'State of the Union' that ICE agents will be deployed to U.S. airports starting Monday and said plans are still being drawn up.
- Homan framed the move primarily as an effort to ease long TSA lines during the busy travel season and said agents would focus on airports with roughly three‑hour waits, supporting TSA by covering exits and non‑specialized functions.
- Homan acknowledged that key details — including how many agents, which airports, and deployment timelines — had not yet been finalized and would be decided later Sunday.
- House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries sharply criticized the plan, warning that 'untrained ICE agents' at airports could 'brutalize or kill' travelers, referencing the killings of two U.S. citizens in Minneapolis in January.
12:35 PM
Trump says ICE will deploy to airports Monday to assist TSA amid funding standoff
New information:
- Trump states on Truth Social that 'On Monday, ICE will be going to airports to help our wonderful TSA Agents,' indicating a specific date and an asserted operational plan rather than a vague threat.
- He explicitly frames the move as a response to Democrats 'holding back the money' for DHS, reinforcing that this deployment is part of the ongoing DHS funding confrontation.
- Trump says 'The great Tom Homan is in charge!' suggesting that former ICE acting director Tom Homan is overseeing or coordinating the planned ICE role at airports.
March 21, 2026
10:57 PM
Trump says he will order federal immigration officers to help with airport security unless Democrats end shutdown
New information:
- Trump’s new social‑media posts from Florida say he will order ICE officers into airport security 'on Monday' unless Democrats agree to fund DHS, and that he has already told ICE to 'GET READY.'
- He explicitly promises that ICE at airports would arrest 'all Illegal Immigrants' and says they will focus on arresting immigrants from Somalia who are in the U.S. illegally, repeating his claim that Somalis 'totally destroyed' Minnesota.
- The article ties Democrats’ refusal to fund DHS to demands for reforms after a Minnesota immigration crackdown that led to the fatal shootings of two protesters, including calls for better identification for federal officers, a new code of conduct and greater use of judicial warrants.
- PBS/AP updates TSA operational fallout: at least 376 TSA workers have quit since the Feb. 14 partial shutdown began, call‑out rates are climbing, and Senate Democrats’ attempt to pass a TSA‑only funding bill was blocked Saturday.
- The piece notes that bipartisan Senate talks with White House officials have restarted and that Senate Majority Leader John Thune and Democratic leader Chuck Schumer both describe closed‑door negotiations as 'productive,' signaling some movement even as the threat hangs.
9:40 PM
Airport security lines are long. Here's what to know if you're flying
New information:
- Reports specific current wait times: up to two hours at major hubs in Houston and Atlanta on Friday, and a three-hour early-arrival advisory from New Orleans’ Louis Armstrong International Airport.
- Details operational impacts, including Philadelphia International Airport closing three security checkpoints entirely this week because of short staffing.
- Provides DHS figures that more than 300 TSA officers have quit since the shutdown began and that more than half of TSA staff in Houston and nearly a third in Atlanta and New Orleans called out sick last week.
- Quotes Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warning that if a deal is not reached, current disruption will look like 'child's play' and that smaller airports may have to temporarily close.
- Adds that U.K. Foreign Office officials are warning their citizens of 'longer than usual queues' at some U.S. airports due to the shutdown-linked delays.
- Introduces Elon Musk’s offer on X to personally pay TSA salaries during the funding impasse, and notes that U.S. law generally bars government employees from receiving outside compensation for their work.
8:32 PM
Trump threatens to deploy ICE to run airport security during shutdown
New information:
- Clarifies Trump’s conditional framing that ICE will take over airport security 'if the Democrats do not allow for Just and Proper Security at our Airports,' tying the move explicitly to passage of the GOP funding bill.
- Quotes Trump saying ICE will perform security 'far better than ever done before' and that he looks forward to 'moving ICE in on Monday' and has already told them to 'GET READY.'
- Adds Trump’s statement that ICE at airports would include 'the immediate arrest of all Illegal Immigrants who have come into our Country, with heavy emphasis on those from Somalia,' sharpening the targeting language.
- Provides additional shutdown context: this comes after Senate Republicans blocked Schumer’s TSA‑only funding attempt and after a DHS funding bill failed in the Senate for the fifth time.
- Includes warning from acting deputy TSA administrator Adam Stahl to CBS that TSA 'may have to shut down airports' if funding doesn’t resume, underscoring operational risk.
6:55 PM
Trump Says He Will Send ICE Agents to Airports on Monday
New information:
- Trump followed his initial threat with a second post hours later saying he has 'decided to go ahead with the move' and has told ICE to 'GET READY.'
- He explicitly says he 'look[s] forward to moving ICE in on Monday,' providing a concrete date for the planned deployment.
- The article ties these posts directly to ongoing bipartisan talks on Capitol Hill involving White House border czar Tom Homan, noting those negotiations continued Friday night and into Saturday as the shutdown enters its fifth week.
5:28 PM
For airline passengers, the shutdown answer is simple: Pay TSA officers
New information:
- On March 21 at Atlanta’s airport, passengers interviewed by AP/ABC overwhelmingly say TSA officers need to be paid and that funding them should be Congress’s top priority, with several explicitly blaming Democrats for prolonging the shutdown.
- The article documents Hartsfield‑Jackson Atlanta International Airport’s operational strain in concrete terms: TSA wait times surged to about 90 minutes early Saturday before dropping later in the morning, and staffing shortages have at times forced checkpoint closures.
- It adds contextual detail to Trump’s ICE‑at‑airports threat by noting he singled out immigrants from Somalia as a focus for potential arrests, though no concrete implementation plan has been announced.
- Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer is quoted signaling a tactical shift by promising to offer a TSA‑only funding bill on Saturday, even as it is expected to fail in a rare weekend session.
4:37 PM
Musk offers to pay TSA salaries, as Trump floats ICE at airports
New information:
- Axios timestamps that Musk’s X post offering to pay TSA personnel salaries came early Saturday, followed roughly five hours later by Trump’s Truth Social post threatening to deploy ICE agents to airports if Democrats did not agree to a funding deal.
- It quantifies Musk’s potential commitment by tying it to TSA headcount, estimating that covering salaries could cost more than $40 million per week.
- Axios highlights that it is unclear what prompted Musk’s offer a month into the shutdown and questions how either proposal—private funding of federal salaries or ICE substitution for TSA—would work in practice.
- The article reiterates that Democrats have recently shifted to new procedural tactics in Congress to end the DHS shutdown but that there are still 'few signs of movement.'