U.S. President Donald Trump has said he is seriously considering deploying the National Guard to airports nationwide amid the ongoing Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shutdown.
Speaking on Wednesday, March 25, Trump praised Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers already deployed to assist at airports.
The president said ICE agents had been sent to airports to help ease pressure on Transportation Security Administration (TSA) operations, which staffing shortages have severely disrupted.
“I sent ICE to the airports yesterday, and they have been so great. They have been so great. And you know what’s happened? And they didn’t need any rehabilitation, but they did in terms of the fake news. And they’re doing such an unbelievable job at the airports that they had one line that was four hours yesterday, and today it was half an hour,” Trump said.
He further raised the prospect of military-backed reinforcements, declaring that his administration will send in the National Guard if needed. The move comes as the shutdown enters its 40th day, with TSA reporting record delays and workforce shortages.
“If we have to, we’re going to send in the National Guard if we need to, because (we only — you know, we have 6,000 ICE agents, and we have 40,000 of the other people that they’re helping out.”
The National Guard is a military reserve organization of the United States Department of Defense. It is composed of reserve components of the United States Army and the United States Air Force: the Army National Guard and the Air National Guard, respectively.
While part of the U.S. military structure, it operates under a unique hybrid model controlled by state governors but federalized by the president during national emergencies.
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Deploying Guard troops to airports would expand federal involvement in civilian transport operations, even if framed as logistical support rather than law enforcement.
Trump blames Democrats for the crisis
At the same time, Trump directly blamed Democrats for the worsening situation, linking the airport disruptions to the ongoing funding deadlock in Congress.
At the center of the impasse is a stalled funding bill that has now failed six times in the Senate.
In a vote on Wednesday, the chamber fell short of the 60 votes required to proceed, with John Fetterman the only Democrat to support advancing the measure.
Earlier in the day, Trump took to Truth Social to praise ICE officers in unusually personal terms, framing their airport role as both operational and reputational.
He wrote that agents were “helping people with bags, even picking up and cleaning areas,” adding that public perception of ICE had shifted positively.
The post also accused Democrats of previously undermining the agency, calling ICE officers “Great American Patriots.”
Airports under mounting pressure
The president’s remarks come as the situation at airports continues to deteriorate.
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TSA official Ha Nguyen McNeill warned lawmakers this week that wait times have reached historic highs, in some cases exceeding four hours, as hundreds of officers leave the workforce during the shutdown.
The agency has also warned of potential lane closures and operational disruptions if staffing shortages worsen.
Republicans and Democrats remain locked in a stalemate over DHS funding, particularly around immigration enforcement policies tied to ICE.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune has dismissed Democratic proposals as unrealistic, while Minority Leader Chuck Schumer insists his party’s demands are necessary safeguards.
GOP lawmakers are expected to bring the measure up again for another vote on Thursday.
