Trump orders immigration agents to airports amid crippling budget standoffTravelers wait in line at a TSA security checkpoint at George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston, Texas, on Friday. (Photo: AFP)WASHINGTON (- Immigration agents will be deployed in US airports beginning Monday, aiming to alleviate soaring congestion at security screenings amid a weeks-long budget standoff over President Donald Trump's mass deportation drive, officials said. Trump announced the extraordinary move in a social media post Sunday morning, sending officials racing to quickly develop a plan. Many TSA agents have begun calling out from work, prompting soaring wait times at screening lines, sometimes as high as multiple hours. Democrats have demanded curtailed patrols, a ban on face masks and a requirement that ICE agents obtain a judicial warrant before entering private property.

Source: Bangkok Post March 23, 2026 09:56 UTC