Diyar Guldogan
26 March 2026•Update: 27 March 2026
WASHINGTON
US President Donald Trump praised the deployment of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents to the country’s major airports, framing the move as a necessary measure to restore order and security.
"I sent ICE to the airports yesterday, and they have been so great," he said at the National Republican Congressional Committee's annual fundraising dinner.
The federal agents began deploying to airports Monday amid an ongoing budget standoff between the White House and congressional Democrats.
Trump said the agents are doing "such an unbelievable job" at the airports.
"If we have to, we're going to send in the National Guard if we need to," he added.
Democrats on Capitol Hill are demanding comprehensive reforms within ICE before they agree to approve full funding for its parent agency, the Department of Homeland Security. The push comes after ICE agents fatally shot two American protesters earlier this year amid Trump’s ongoing immigration crackdown.
Trump slammed Democrats, saying they “don’t want to pay” Transportation Security Administration (TSA) agents.
“You have to remember that the radical left Democrats need to get DHS back and open immediately,” he added.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said Wednesday that Democrats have been "very clear" from the beginning about ICE reforms.
"If anyone is slowing down negotiation and hurting TSA workers, it's the Republican leadership who did not include one single reform," Schumer said on the Senate floor.
