Elon Musk offers to fund TSA as Trump sends ICE agents to airports
March 23, 2026
Billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk has offered to personally pay the salaries of US Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers during the ongoing funding impasse, as President Donald Trump announces he will deploy Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents to airports to address growing security queues.
The political dispute in Washington, which has frozen funding for the Department of Homeland Security, including TSA, is rippling through the aviation system. US airport security workers are missing paychecks, with absences and resignation rates rising.
Significant travel disruption has already occurred at major hubs during the busy spring break travel period, raising concerns among airlines and airport operators. Travellers are already experiencing long security lines that extend outside airport terminals.
Security lines are stretching into PARKING GARAGES in New Orleans.
— Homeland Security (@DHSgov) March 22, 2026
The Democrats’ DHS shutdown is causing major travel disruptions and leading to hundreds of passengers missing their flights completely.
Enough is enough. https://t.co/e3FHaqM2hc
DHS funding priorities: ICE agents get paid, as TSA workers miss paychecks
ICE also falls under the Department of Homeland Security and would be working without pay during the shutdown, along with 90% of the Department’s over 260,000 employees. However, their paychecks are secure because Congress allocated billions in additional funding last year for certain DHS functions, including ICE and Customs and Border Protection, through the 2025 One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
During last year’s record-setting 43-day government shutdown, the Trump administration reallocated funds for military service members and law enforcement, including ICE and CBP officers.
President Trump and I will always stand by law enforcement, and we are keeping our promise to always support them by making sure they are paid during the Democrats’ shutdown.
— Secretary Kristi Noem (@Sec_Noem) October 17, 2025
More than 70,000 sworn law enforcement officers across DHS including those serving in CBP, ICE,…
TSA officers were excluded from this government funding protection. The TSA employs around 50,000 officers who screen more than two million passengers every day at airports across the United States. Last year’s TSA budget allocation was $11.8 billion.
This chaos at American airports is a direct result of the Democrats’ DHS shutdown.
— Homeland Security (@DHSgov) March 22, 2026
Our TSA officers have now gone weeks without pay. Many can’t even afford gas to get to work. https://t.co/8oD1KzQPcf
ICE employs over 20,000 law enforcement and support personnel across more than 400 offices in the US and around the world. The agency operates on an annual budget of $8 billion, funding three main activities—Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) and Office of the Principal Legal Advisor (OPLA).
Musk offers to fund TSA salaries personally
Posting on X, Musk said he would step in financially to support TSA employees while lawmakers continue negotiations, which have stymied DHS funding.
I would like to offer to pay the salaries of TSA personnel during this funding impasse that is negatively affecting the lives of so many Americans at airports throughout the country
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 21, 2026
TSA employees could miss several paychecks if the standoff continues. However, federal law generally prohibits private individuals from directly paying government salaries. Congress would need to approve the extraordinary funding before TSA workers would benefit, making Musk’s proposal more symbolic than practical.
Trump will send ICE agents to airports
At the same time, Trump announced via his social media platform, Truth Social, that he plans to send ICE officers to airports by Monday.
In a post, the president warned that ICE agents could take over airport security operations and carry out immigration enforcement.
“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 where they will do Security like no one has ever seen before, including the immediate arrest of all illegal immigrants who have come into our country, with heavy emphasis on those from Somalia, who have totally destroyed, with the approval of a corrupt Governor, Attorney General, and Congresswoman, Ilhan Omar, the once Great State of Minnesota. I look forward to seeing ICE in action at our Airports. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!” Trump wrote in a post published on Truth Social on Sunday.
The presence of ICE agents at airports would not alleviate TSA lines, as they are not trained to perform TSA functions, such as running X-ray and CT baggage screening machines. Instead, they would merely be present for crowd control and, according to the President, for traveller intimidation.
ICE agents heading to Atlanta airport
According to reporting by Reuters correspondent David Shepardson, immigration agents may soon begin appearing at major US airports, starting with Atlanta.
Confirming @krisvancleave: Atlanta mayor says he expects ICE/HSI at ATL tomorrow and says deployment “not intended to conduct immigration enforcement activities” pic.twitter.com/6lOSVluRgZ
— David Shepardson (@davidshepardson) March 22, 2026
Atlanta’s Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport is the world’s busiest passenger airport, making any operational disruption particularly visible.
However, ICE agents are not certified to perform passenger screening. Their role would likely be limited to supporting functions such as monitoring exit lanes, assisting with queue management, or providing additional security presence. Still, the presence of these officials at key US hubs might have a chilling effect on travellers, since the President has stated an intent to search for and arrest undocumented individuals. That might involve checking the documentation of those standing in line for TSA.
ICE’s aggressive tactics in the US have led to the shooting death of two US citizens this year, and 32 people died in ICE detention facilities last year.
Why TSA workers must keep working during government shutdowns
Airport security officers employed by the TSA are essential federal employees. That means, like air traffic controllers, they must continue working even when government funding lapses or Congress fails to pass a budget.
While they receive back pay once funding resumes, workers can go weeks without a paycheck during political standoffs. The financial strain has led to increased absenteeism and resignations, disrupting air travel.
400+ TSA officers have quit.
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) March 22, 2026
$2.5 BILLION lost.
Airports in chaos. Americans stuck in the fallout.
All because of Democrats’ political games.
Fund @DHSgov. Now. pic.twitter.com/W3tqbxq7Iy
For airlines and travellers, the latest funding dispute shows how quickly political conflicts in Washington can spill into aviation operations. Airline CEOs have urged Congress to pass pending bills that would protect the salaries of essential personnel during funding lapses.
Disrupting US air travel by withholding the salaries of essential workers has long been a strategy of Congressional funding negotiations, employed by both parties. Previous government shutdowns have ended once the impact on air travellers became severe.
Featured Image: TSA
