Trump floats idea to send National Guard to assist ICE agents at airports

House GOP leadership remarks amid DHS shutdown

House GOP leadership holds their weekly press conference with Speaker Mike Johnson. 

President Donald Trump floated the idea to send the National Guard to airports as security checkpoints continue to experience unprecedented wait times.

Congress failed to finalize a deal to fund the Department of Homeland Security, leaving Transportation Security Administration workers without pay and forcing many to quit their jobs, leading to a snowball effect of turmoil at airports.

Trump on Wednesday once again blamed Democrats for the "mess" at airports across the country, adding he would call upon the National Guard to join ICE agents to assist the TSA, according to the president’s Truth Social account.

Screenshot taken of a Truth Social post published to President Donald Trump's account on March 25, 2026. (Truth Social)

The president first floated the idea of sending the National Guard to airports on Monday while hosting a roundtable discussion in Memphis, Tennessee. 

What they're saying:

"We would also bring out if we don't have enough, we will bring out the National Guard where we need it to help out at the airports. But we're not going to let this happen," Trump said. 

FILE - National Guard soldiers patrol the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial as cherry blossoms bloom on March 24, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

Congress’ dispute over DHS funding

The backstory:

Routine DHS funding was halted in mid-February as Democrats have refused to fund certain agencies within the department, and that includes U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. 

Lawmakers said there must be accountability after Alex Pretti and Renee Good were killed by ICE agents in Minneapolis.

On Tuesday, senators raced to salvage a proposal to end the partial DHS shutdown but the offer was not sufficient for Democratic lawmakers and Trump himself was noncommittal. 

"I think any deal they make, I’m pretty much not happy with it," Trump said at an event at the White House swearing in his new Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin.

TSA workers and travelers caught in crossfire

Dig deeper:

There are about 50,000 TSA officers expecting to receive another $0 paycheck this week.

High absentee rates at some major airports have produced long lines and frustrated passengers at understaffed security checkpoints. 

Union leaders and federal officials say empty gas tanks, child care expenses and the threat of eviction keep more screeners from showing up the longer the shutdown continues. 

By the numbers:

At last count, more than 455 had quit instead of weathering the ongoing uncertainty, according to DHS.

Local perspective:

Travelers making their way through the George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston, Texas, told Fox News they waited in TSA lines for hours Wednesday morning.

Kenneth Haney, a recently retired United Airlines pilot, said he arrived six hours early for his flight to Raleigh, North Carolina.

"I just retired a year and a half ago and I've never seen it like this before, even as a pilot," Haney said. "Our politicians: Get yourself together and do the work of the people that we put you in office to do, and stop bickering and come together for the American people and help us alleviate these unnecessary long lines."

Priscilla Craft, who was traveling to Dulles International Airport in Virginia, also arrived six hours before her flight and said she would like to see Congress "compromise and get this done."

"I think people are frustrated, and they're ready for politicians on the Hill to get this resolved," Craft said. "And there's no reason they shouldn't."