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By Hollie Silverman
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Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry offered to deploy the Louisiana National Guard to assist at state airports and asked President Donald Trump for approval, citing long security lines he attributed to a “Democrat shutdown” in a post on X on Sunday.
Trump announced earlier in the day that agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) will be sent to airports across the country to assist the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) amid the ongoing partial government shutdown affecting the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
Newsweek reached out to the White House by email Sunday for comment on Landry's offer.
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The Context
The governor's request signaled a potential expansion of the Louisiana National Guard’s public safety role from city streets to airport operations, a shift that would require federal coordination because the TSA, which is over seen by the DHS, regulates passenger screening.
Airport security is a federal responsibility under the DHS. Any move to place Guard members at TSA checkpoints would require clear legal authority and defined roles to ensure compliance with federal aviation security standards.
TSA officers haven’t been paid since the DHS partly shut down on February 14, after Democrats balked at funding the agency and demanded changes to immigration enforcement following the fatal shootings of U.S. citizens Renee Good and Alex Pretti by federal agents in Minneapolis in January.
Since then, airline passengers have seen long lines to pass through security screenings at airports across the country due to the shortage of TSA workers. About 50,000 TSA workers are working without pay as negotiations between lawmakers and the White House continue.
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What To Know
In a post on Truth Social on Sunday, Trump wrote ICE agents would be going to airports starting tomorrow to help 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.”
He added that “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.”
Trump said border czar Tom Homan will be in charge of deploying the agents to airports.
In his X post addressed to the president, Landry, a Republican, wrote: "Louisiana always stands ready to help. With your approval, we would proudly welcome our National Guard at Louisiana airports to help ease these security lines caused by the Democrat shutdown.
On March 2, the governor announced in a press release the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) authorized a six-month extension of the Louisiana National Guard’s New Orleans “security mission,” keeping approximately 120 soldiers mobilized under federal Title 32 orders to support state and local law enforcement.
Why Haven't TSA Agents Been Paid?
On February 14, Congress let funding expire for the DHS amid a disagreement over immigration enforcement.
The funding stalemate emerged as Democrats pushed for policy changes in response to the fatal shootings of Good and Pretti during a large-scale federal operation in Minneapolis earlier this year, while withholding support for DHS funding in the absence of such reforms.
Funding for DHS failed to advance in the Senate on Friday after Democrats declined to support a bill. And in a rare weekend session on Saturday, the Senate rejected a motion by Democrats to take up legislation to fund the TSA. Republicans argue they need to fund all of DHS, not just parts of it.
According to DHS, more than 300 TSA agents have resigned amid the partial shutdown. Most TSA employees are classified as essential and remain on duty during the funding lapse but are working without pay.
Call-out rates have begun to increase at some airports, contributing to longer wait times at security checkpoints. Airports across the country are reporting delays and are advising travelers to arrive earlier than usual.
When Will ICE Start to Help TSA Agents?
In a Truth Social post, Trump wrote he would deploy ICE agents to assist at airports starting Monday.
Homan said on CNN's State of the Union on Sunday that a plan will be decided by the end of the day about "what airports we're starting with and where we're sending them" and that a "well-thought out" plan would be executed.
Pressed on how well-thought out the plan could be in under 24 hours, Homan told host Dana Bash that ICE "has been at airports across the country for a long time. It's just expanding those things."
What People Are Saying
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, a New York Democrat, wrote on X on Saturday: “ZERO Republican Senators voted to fund TSA. This is the seventh time Republicans have blocked pay for TSA. Seven. Times. They would rather hold TSA hostage to try to force billions more for an unrestrained, out of control ICE. Despicable.”
President Donald Trump said in a post on Truth Social on Sunday: “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!!! President DJT”
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, a New York Democrat, said Sunday on CNN's State of the Union: "The last thing that the American people need are for untrained ICE agents to be deployed at airports all across the country, potentially to brutalize or in some instances kill them."
Border czar Tom Homan said on CNN on Sunday: "It's a work in progress but we will be at airports tomorrow helping TSA move those lines along."
Vice President JD Vance wrote on X on Sunday: "We’ve all seen the chaos unleashed by Democrats at airports across the country. It’s preposterous that Chuck Schumer continues to hold TSA funding hostage. Thankfully, ICE will bring sanity to our airports starting tomorrow, but it’s far past time for Democrats to fund DHS."
What Happens Next
The White House and DHS would need to approve and define any National Guard role inside Louisiana airports, including how Guard members would coordinate with TSA and airport authorities.
As of publication, federal agencies had not announced decisions related to Landry’s request.
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