United States President Donald Trump has threatened to deploy federal immigration agents to the country’s airports to bolster security, amid a partial government shutdown that affects the Department of Homeland Security.
The warning came on the five-week mark of the shutdown, which has left nearly 50,000 employees at the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) working without pay, resulting in long lines and delays at some airports.
Trump blamed Democrats for the impasse and threatened to use Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents to conduct airport security instead, saying they would “do Security like no one has ever seen”.
Immigration Crackdown
In his social media post, Trump also called for the immediate arrest of all undocumented immigrants, with a particular emphasis on those from Somalia, a group he has frequently targeted.
Since taking office for a second term, Trump has led a crackdown on immigration, with Somalis and Somali Americans facing particular scrutiny, including being called “garbage” by the president in early December.
Airport Security Concerns
Industry analysts have warned that the deployment of ICE agents to airports could put a strain on security, given their different training and the risk of militarized actions in civilian spaces.
The TSA has reported that 366 security officers have quit their jobs as of March 17, with absences spiking, including a 55 percent callout rate at Houston Hobby International Airport on March 14.
Source: Al Jazeera
