Louisiana Governor Offers National Guard to Help TSA at Airports

Amid partial government shutdown, hundreds of TSA agents have resigned and call-out rates have increased.

Mar. 22, 2026 at 10:21pm

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Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry offered to deploy the Louisiana National Guard to assist at state airports and asked President Donald Trump for approval, citing long security lines he attributed to a 'Democrat shutdown'. Trump announced earlier that ICE agents will be sent to airports across the country to help the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) amid the ongoing partial government shutdown affecting the Department of Homeland Security.

Why it matters

The governor's request signaled a potential expansion of the Louisiana National Guard's public safety role from city streets to airport operations, a shift that would require federal coordination because the TSA, which is overseen by the DHS, regulates passenger screening. Airport security is a federal responsibility under the DHS, so any move to place Guard members at TSA checkpoints would require clear legal authority and defined roles to ensure compliance with federal aviation security standards.

The details

TSA officers haven't been paid since the DHS partly shut down on February 14, after Democrats balked at funding the agency and demanded changes to immigration enforcement following the fatal shootings of U.S. citizens Renee Good and Alex Pretti by federal agents in Minneapolis in January. Since then, airline passengers have seen long lines to pass through security screenings at airports across the country due to the shortage of TSA workers. About 50,000 TSA workers are working without pay as negotiations between lawmakers and the White House continue.

  • On February 14, Congress let funding expire for the DHS amid a disagreement over immigration enforcement.
  • On March 2, the governor announced the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) authorized a six-month extension of the Louisiana National Guard's New Orleans 'security mission', keeping approximately 120 soldiers mobilized under federal Title 32 orders to support state and local law enforcement.
  • On Sunday, Trump wrote on Truth Social that ICE agents would be going to airports starting on Monday to help TSA agents.

The players

Jeff Landry

The Republican governor of Louisiana who offered to deploy the Louisiana National Guard to assist at state airports.

Donald Trump

The President of the United States who announced that ICE agents will be sent to airports across the country to assist the TSA.

Tom Homan

The border czar who will be in charge of deploying the ICE agents to airports.

Chuck Schumer

The Senate Minority Leader, a New York Democrat, who criticized Republicans for blocking pay for TSA agents.

Hakeem Jeffries

The House Minority Leader, a New York Democrat, who expressed concerns about untrained ICE agents being deployed to airports.

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What they’re saying

“Louisiana always stands ready to help. With your approval, we would proudly welcome our National Guard at Louisiana airports to help ease these security lines caused by the Democrat shutdown.”

— Jeff Landry, Governor of Louisiana

“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 Tom Homan is in charge!!!”

— Donald Trump

“The last thing that the American people need are for untrained ICE agents to be deployed at airports all across the country, potentially to brutalize or in some instances kill them.”

— Hakeem Jeffries, House Minority Leader

“It's a work in progress but we will be at airports tomorrow helping TSA move those lines along.”

— Tom Homan, Border Czar

“We've all seen the chaos unleashed by Democrats at airports across the country. It's preposterous that Chuck Schumer continues to hold TSA funding hostage. Thankfully, ICE will bring sanity to our airports starting tomorrow, but it's far past time for Democrats to fund DHS.”

— JD Vance, Vice President

What’s next

The White House and DHS would need to approve and define any National Guard role inside Louisiana airports, including how Guard members would coordinate with TSA and airport authorities.

The takeaway

This situation highlights the political tensions surrounding the partial government shutdown and its impact on essential federal services like airport security. It raises questions about the appropriate roles of the National Guard and federal law enforcement agencies in addressing staffing shortages at TSA checkpoints, as well as the broader debate over immigration enforcement and DHS funding.