ISTANBUL

US President Donald Trump on Saturday threatened to deploy US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents to airports if Democrats do not agree to end a partial government shutdown.

In a post on his social media platform Truth Social, Trump said: "If the Radical Left Democrats don’t immediately sign an agreement to let our Country, in particular, our Airports, be FREE and SAFE again, I will move our brilliant and patriotic ICE Agents to the Airports."

The president added that ICE agents would oversee airport security and carry out "the immediate arrest of all illegal immigrants who have come into our country," singling out immigrants from Somalia, a Horn of Africa country he has frequently derided.

"I look forward to seeing ICE in action at our airports," Trump wrote.

Transportation Security Administration (TSA) employees across US airports have been working without pay since a partial government shutdown began in February, after Republicans and Democrats failed to reach a funding agreement. After months of controversial ICE immigrant crackdowns in various US cities, resulting in some deaths and drawing fierce public opposition, Democrats have refused to give more funding to ICE unless serious reforms are made.

During the shutdown, TSA workers have had to keep working at airports without pay, as their jobs are classified as essential.

As the shutdown continues, Senate Democrats have sought to pass a series of narrower bills to fund non-ICE agencies within the Department of Homeland Security, including the TSA and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), but Senate Republicans have rejected the effort.