Airport Alert: ICE to be Deployed to Airports Beginning March 23

March 22, 2026

Yesterday, President Trump posted that he planned to deploy ICE agents to airports where “they will do security…including the immediate arrest of all illegal immigrants who have come into our Country…” if Democrats don’t immediately sign an agreement “to let our country, in particular, our airports be FREE and SAFE again”. This threat comes as airports across the country are experiencing longer wait times and delays during the peak spring break travel season due to a DHS funding impasse that has lasted more than five weeks. Increasingly, Transportation Security Officers (TSOs) have either quit or have been unable to afford to come to work. This is the third time this fiscal year that TSOs have been working without pay.

This social media post is not a hoax. In discussions with TSA leadership this morning, and as being reported by the multiple press sources, starting Monday, March 23, DHS will deploy ICE agents to airports. TSA, in conjunction with DHS and the White House, are in the process of determining where these agents will be deployed and what their responsibilities will be. It is possible that ICE agents could be directly interacting with passengers if they serve as travel document checkers or in a federal air marshal role. It is unclear, at this time, what ICE agents will wear.

Border czar Tom Homan indicated that “We'll have a plan by the end of today including “what airports we're starting with.” In his press statement, Homan indicated that he would start with airports that have the longest wait times.

Democratic leaders in the House and Senate strongly oppose this policy. Senate Appropriations Committee Vice Chair Patty Murray (D-WA) stated that “Surely, the next thing people want after waiting hours in long TSA lines is to get wrongfully detained by ICE.” Here’s an idea: Instead of sidelining TSA agents and sending ICE to harass travelers, the president should tell Republicans to stop blocking our bill to pay TSA.” House Homeland Security Committee Ranking Member Bennie Thompson (D-MS) echoed these sentiments, noting that Democrats have repeatedly offered a clean bill to fund TSA, which has been blocked by Republicans.

We will keep you up to date as AAAE learns more details about the ICE deployment to airports.