President Donald Trump threatened Saturday to station ICE agents at airports across the country if Democrats refuse to reach a deal on Department of Homeland Security (DHS) funding.
“I will move our brilliant and patriotic ICE Agents to the Airports where they will do Security like no one has ever seen before, including the immediate arrest of all Illegal Immigrants who have come into our Country, with heavy emphasis on those from Somalia,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
Trump also claimed Somali immigrants “have totally destroyed” Minnesota with the backing of the state’s governor, attorney general and Rep. Ilhan Omar. The White House reposted the statement on X, amplifying the threat as an official administration message. (RELATED: Lawmakers Fail To End Second Longest Shutdown In History)
Fox News correspondent Bill Melugin said he contacted several ICE agents for their take on the proposal. Their responses ranged from “Love it” and “Genius” to “Lots of illegals at airports,” he posted on X.
I reached out to a handful of ICE agents to gauge their reaction to President Trump pitching putting them at airports to work security. Responses: 👇🏻
“Love it.”
“Genius. We serve at the behest…”
“Lots of illegals at airports”.
“🤭”
“I would actually love that”.
“Ah…
— Bill Melugin (@BillMelugin_) March 21, 2026
Trump’s post landed hours after the Senate failed for a fifth time to advance a DHS funding bill, according to the Associated Press. Democrats again refused to provide the votes needed to move the measure forward. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer announced a Saturday vote on a narrower proposal to fund only the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), though that effort was also expected to fall short.
The Friday vote collapsed 47-37, well below the 60-vote threshold required to proceed, The Hill reported. Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania was the sole Democrat to side with Republicans. Sixteen senators from both parties skipped the vote entirely. Democrats have repeatedly tried to carve out funding for TSA, FEMA and the Coast Guard while leaving ICE out of any deal. Republicans have rejected that approach, demanding a complete DHS funding package.
The airport crisis, meanwhile, continues to worsen. More than 360 TSA officers have left the agency since the shutdown began in mid-February, and callout rates surged past 50% at Houston’s main airport, The Hill reported. Deputy TSA Administrator Adam Stahl warned that smaller airports may have to temporarily shut down operations if staffing losses continue.
Earlier Saturday, Elon Musk offered to personally cover TSA salaries, though whether a private citizen can legally fund federal workers remains an open question.
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