Trump threatens to send TROOPS into crisis-stricken airports as ICE agents are overrun by chaos
President Donald Trump announced Wednesday that he may send the National Guard to America's airports.
In a Truth Social post issued Wednesday morning, Trump said he 'may call up the National Guard for more help,' to assist ICE agents in the 'airport's mess.'
Monday marked the first day that immigration agents were ordered to report to airports with hours-long wait times at security checkpoints amid a lack of federal funding for TSA.
TSA agents have missed paychecks because federal funding has been held up by lawmakers in Washington, DC, for over a month.
A package to fund the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which includes TSA, has been passed by a majority of members of the US House of Representatives but has not advanced in the US Senate.
Senate spending bills require 60 votes to pass, meaning a handful of Democrats must side with Republicans to pass fiscal legislation.
During a tense hearing on Capitol Hill on Wednesday, Democrat and Republican lawmakers each blamed the opposing party for the shutdown while questioning leaders of TSA, FISA, FEMA, and even the Coast Guard.
Acting TSA administrator Ha Nguyen McNeill warned lawmakers that if workers miss another paycheck on Friday, the total amount of missed wages would cross over $1 billion dollars.
Travelers line up at a TSA checkpoint on Wednesday, March 25, 2026 at LaGuardia Airport in New York
President Donald Trump at the White House in Washington, DC on March 24, 2026
Members of the National Guard walk under cherry blossoms as they patrol along the Tidal Basin on March 24, 2026, in Washington, DC
Passengers wait in a security checkpoint line at George Bush Intercontinental Airport, Wednesday, March 25, 2026, in Houston
Smaller airports could shut entirely due to lack of TSA staff, as the number of workers who have quit their jobs nears 500, with the latest number shared by crossing McNeill 480 individuals.
The shrinking workforce could also have dire impacts on the upcoming FIFA World Cup soccer tournament, which is slated to take place in dozens of locations across North America, including major US cities.
McNeill told lawmakers on Wednesday that 'if we see any spikes [in attrition], we're going to have to pivot and assess how we are going to staff the FIFA locations adequately.'
As the DHS shutdown entered its fifth week, Republican Senate Majority Leader John Thune offered Donald Trump a deal to fund all DHS divisions except ICE.
Thune offered Trump a package that Democrats and a handful of Republicans would back, per Punchbowl News.
The President reportedly rejected the offer, which would have funded TSA, stopped chaos at airports, and still not given in to top Democrat demands such as banning immigration agents from wearing masks.
Trump has also stated that he wants lawmakers to forgo their upcoming two-week Easter break, adding that he would shame lawmakers for going on vacation.
He even said he would host GOP senators and their families at the White House for Easter if they can't get a deal together.
It's a thinly veiled 'threat' in the eyes of some lawmakers who want to celebrate the religious holiday with their families at home, per Punchbowl.
