Trump Allows ICE Agents to Assist at Airports Amid Funding Crisis

Agents will help TSA but may also enforce immigration laws, raising concerns about racial profiling.

Mar. 24, 2026 at 1:49am

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In response to a federal government funding crisis, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents have been deployed to more than a dozen airports across the nation to assist Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers. While the White House says the ICE agents are there to help with security and crowd control, President Trump has not ruled out the possibility of them also enforcing immigration laws at the airports.

Why it matters

This move raises concerns about racial profiling and the potential for ICE agents to overstep their duties at airports, which are meant to be secure and welcoming public spaces. The deployment of ICE agents comes as Democrats have pushed for reforms to curb the aggressive tactics of the agency, including requiring agents to not wear face masks and have warrants signed by a judge before entering homes and businesses.

The details

ICE agents began showing up at airports on Monday to help TSA officers with duties like guarding exits and managing the flow of travelers through security lines. However, there is confusion over the exact duties of the ICE agents, with Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy suggesting they could operate security screening machines, while ICE official Tom Homan said they are not trained for that specialized work. Homan did say ICE agents could get involved in investigations related to currency smuggling and human trafficking at airports.

  • ICE agents began deploying to airports across the nation on Monday, March 23, 2026.
  • The federal government funding crisis that prompted the ICE deployment began on February 14, 2026.

The players

Donald Trump

The President of the United States who has not ruled out ICE agents enforcing immigration laws at airports.

Tom Homan

The White House Border Czar who said ICE agents will take action if they see "illegal activity" at airports, but that their main role is to help TSA.

Sean Duffy

The U.S. Transportation Secretary who suggested ICE agents could operate security screening machines at airports, contradicting Homan's statements.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)

The federal law enforcement agency that has been deployed to assist TSA at airports, raising concerns about racial profiling and overreach of their duties.

Transportation Security Administration (TSA)

The federal agency responsible for airport security that is being assisted by ICE agents amid a funding crisis.

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What they’re saying

“They really are a high-level group of people and they love it because they're able to now arrest illegals as they come into the country. That's very fertile territory.”

— Donald Trump

“Of course, anybody would need probable cause to make any arrests, but yeah, their law enforcement officers and they're not going to ignore the law while we're there.”

— Tom Homan, White House Border Czar

What’s next

The judge overseeing the Department of Homeland Security funding battle will make a decision in the coming days on whether to require ICE agents to wear body cameras and obtain warrants before entering homes and businesses.

The takeaway

This situation highlights the ongoing tensions between the Trump administration's aggressive immigration enforcement tactics and concerns from Democrats and civil liberties groups about racial profiling and overreach of federal agents' powers, especially in public spaces like airports that are meant to be welcoming to all.