On March 23rd, 2026, ICE was deployed to assist unpaid TSA workers in airports like Chicago O’Hare International Airport, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, and Cleveland Hopkins International Airport. Lines wrap around the airports as unpaid TSA workers search for new employment, causing the Department of Homeland Security to take things into its own hands and send unqualified ICE agents to ‘help’ the situation.  

On February 14th, 2026, the government went into a partial shutdown due to a lapse in funding in the Department of Homeland Security, which all started with ICE’s murder of two U.S citizens. When ICE was responsible for the deaths of Alexi Pretti and Renee Good, the Democrats demanded that one of the six remaining funds for the DHS and its associated agencies be stripped by the House. President Trump, obviously not wanting to have to deal with another shutdown, makes a deal with the Democrats to continue the funding for another two weeks while they negotiate terms. The Senate then passed the five-bill funding package, but it must go through the House before it can become law. This caused a lapse in funding, which has led to the unpaid TSA workers.  

Due to the lack of pay, fewer and fewer TSA agents show up to work, which has led to a serious increase in wait time and delays in the airports that are being affected. This leads to an idea being hatched. An excuse to put unqualified ICE agents in airports to ‘assist’ the TSA workers still present, while also questioning and arresting anyone who matches a certain profile. This will inevitably lead to even longer lines and delays in the future. TSA workers have specific skills and are able to operate machines that ICE cannot. They are completely unqualified to operate or direct anything that the TSA is able to do, leaving them completely useless. In an interview with former ICE director under the Obama administration, John Sadweg, he acknowledges that they are “tasks ICE agents can’t do without extensive training” and that this is “something that has never happened in the history of the agency”.  All ICE is there to do is be overpaid perimeter blockers. And while ‘assisting’, these agents will be pulling aside and questioning anyone who fits their profile for immigrants. This is going to lead to citizens and legal immigrants being interrogated about their status just based on what they look like, causing even more of a disruption at the airports. President Trump stated that ICE will “do security, including the immediate arrest of illegal immigrants.” These agents are not allowed to operate security machinery, which ultimately leads to their only “duty” being to question anyone who is brown or speaks Spanish. This is a waste of resources and time and will ultimately end in chaos.