Opinion – Trump sends ICE to airports amid TSA travel chaos — what are we doing?
I flew out of George Bush Intercontinental Airport yesterday, and I’ll be honest with you: what’s happening in our airports right now doesn’t feel like a small problem delay. It feels like a system breaking down in real time.
The funding crisis tied to the ongoing Department of Homeland Security shutdown has left TSA officers unpaid for weeks, and more than 40 percent of them are calling out. Frankly, that’s not surprising. If you’re not getting a paycheck, why would you keep showing up?
The result? Chaos.
Airports across the country are seeing security wait times stretch past three hours. In Houston, officials warned it could take more than four. I took that seriously — I got there at noon for a 4:45 pm flight. I got through security at 3:15. And even with that buffer, it was a mess. Long lines, frustrated travelers, and a sense that no one is really in control.
Now, instead of pushing Congress to resolve the funding gap and pay TSA workers, President Trump says it was his idea to send in ICE agents to airports. These are officers trained in immigration enforcement and criminal investigations, not aviation security. They’re not screening bags or spotting threats. They’re doing crowd control, standing at exits and entrances.
Obviously that is going to raise concerns. The American Civil Liberties Union put it plainly: “families traveling to see loved ones should not have to deal with ICE agents who likely have no training or experience with the mission of airport security.”
Even the union representing TSA workers says these agents can’t replace trained screeners, who spend months learning how to detect weapons and explosives.
So what are we doing here?
Because this isn’t just about long lines anymore — it’s about priorities. The administration says it’s using “every tool available” to help travelers. But not the most obvious one: urging lawmakers to come to the table and fund the agency that actually keeps airports moving and secure.
There are proposals on the table. Democrats are pushing for basic guardrails — requiring warrants for immigration enforcement, banning masks so agents can be identified, protecting sensitive places like schools and hospitals. Meanwhile, some Republicans are starting to break ranks, acknowledging this shutdown is dragging on too long and could backfire politically, especially since their party controls the White House and Congress.
You can’t patch a workforce crisis with people who aren’t trained for the job. You can’t replace paychecks with politics. And you definitely can’t restore confidence in air travel by putting armed agents in spaces where families are already stressed and vulnerable.
I saw it firsthand in Houston — this isn’t sustainable. At some point, this stops being about leverage in Washington and starts being about real people trying to get from point A to point B safely.
And right now, our politicians are failing them.
Lindsey Granger is a NewsNation contributor and co-host of The Hill’s commentary show “Rising.” This column is an edited transcription of her on-air commentary.
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