After President Donald Trump moved to deploy ICE agents to U.S. airports amid a partial government shutdown that has caused exceptionally long delays at TSA lines nationwide, California Governor Gavin Newsom pointed out exactly why the move is so troubling for citizens and non-citizens alike.
ICE agents are still getting paid during the shutdown, unlike TSA agents, who are currently working unpaid and struggling amid the affordability crisis. News outlets have confirmed ICE agents have been deployed in airports that serve Democratic strongholds, particularly John F. Kennedy and LaGuardia Airports (New York), O'Hare International Airport (Chicago), and others.
Trump issued the announcement on Truth Social, all the while condemning "Radical Left Democrats" and praising Tom Homan, his border czar:
"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!!!"
You can see his post below.
@realDonaldTrump/Truth Social
In remarks to reporters, Trump responded gleefully to the thought of ICE arresting people:
"They [ICE] love it because they're able to now arrest illegals as they come into the country. That's very fertile territory, but that's not why they're there. They're really there to help."
You can hear what he said in the video below.
In a post responding to the news of the deployments, Newsom made this important point:
"By sending ICE into airports, Trump is proving the problem in real time: ICE has become the president’s lawless, under-trained, personal police force, deployed to serve his agenda — not the law."
You can see his post below.
He followed up with the following message on his personal account:
"Donald Trump has one playbook, no matter the issue or problem: SEND IN ICE! Trump owns the government shutdown. He's incompetent — pathetic."
You can see his post below.
Many concurred.
ICE and TSA are both agencies within the Department of Homeland Security, but they serve very different functions.
ICE officers are armed federal law-enforcement agents with authority to investigate crimes and make arrests, primarily related to immigration and customs violations.
TSA personnel, by contrast, are unarmed security screeners responsible for airport safety screening and do not have general police or arrest powers. More than 400 TSA agents have left their positions since DHS funding lapsed and their payments were paused.
This won't end well.
Keith Pedersen/Facebook