ICE agents to be deployed at airports nationwide starting Monday, led by “Border Czar” Tom Homan

Beginning Monday, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents will be deployed across airports nationwide under the direction of Tom Homan, widely known as the “border czar.”

The move comes as ICE steps in to fill staffing gaps left by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), which is responsible for airport security. Hundreds of TSA employees have resigned due to the lack of funding caused by the ongoing shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which began last month.

The staffing shortage has led to security‑line delays of up to five hours at some airports. With no agreement in sight between Republicans and Democrats to end the DHS shutdown, President Trump announced that ICE agents would be sent to airports to help stabilize operations.

“If Democrats won’t allow fair and adequate security at our airports and across the country, ICE will do the job better than ever before! […] I look forward to ICE arriving on Monday, and I’ve already told them: ‘Get ready!’ No more waiting, no more games!” the president wrote on Truth Social.

Tom Homan to lead ICE deployment at airports

President Donald Trump confirmed that Tom Homan will oversee the nationwide deployment of ICE agents at US airports.

Homan told CNN that ICE personnel will assist with entry and exit security to ease the workload on TSA officers.

During an interview on CNN’s State of the Union, Homan explained that he is working with acting ICE director Tedd Lyons and acting TSA administrator Ha Nguyen McNeill to determine the most effective placement of ICE agents within airports.

When will the DHS shutdown end?

Funding for the Department of Homeland Security officially expired at 12:01 a.m. ET on Saturday, February 14, leaving thousands of federal employees without pay. Agencies affected include the TSA, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and the U.S. Coast Guard.

However, ICE and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) have not been hit as hard, as both agencies received substantial funding last year through legislation known as the “One Big Beautiful Bill.”

To end the DHS shutdown, Democrats and Republicans in Congress must reach an agreement on a funding bill. Republicans cannot pass legislation without support from at least some Democratic lawmakers.

The Senate currently has 53 Republicans, meaning they need seven Democratic votes to reach the 60‑vote threshold required to approve a funding package. Democrats have opposed any funding bill unless Republicans and the Trump administration agree to significant changes involving ICE.

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