<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/donald-trump" rel="" target="" title="Donald Trump"><span>Donald Trump</span></a><span>'s deployment of </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/minneapolis-ice-shooting-minnesota-immigration-murder-usa-live-news-updates-donald-trump-tim-walz-jacob-frey/d7f982db-bff6-41b5-ae42-914fcaee2ec3" rel="" target="" title="Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)"><span>Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)</span></a><span> officers to US airports appears to have done little to address </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/donald-trump-threatens-to-move-ice-agents-into-us-airports-tsa-shutdown/fc6ac945-6a61-4475-80b5-2966259dca81" rel="" target="" title="increasingly long queues at security"><span>increasingly long queues at security</span></a><span>.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><a href="https://travel.nine.com.au/usa" rel="" target="" title="Travellers are reporting missing flights"><span>Travellers are reporting missing flights</span></a><span> because of immense waits, thanks to a shortage of Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>At Houston's George Bush Intercontinental Airport, passengers are told to expect waits of more than four hours.</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/donald-trump-iran-updates-oil-futures-trade-suspicious-betting-activity-usa-world-news/1061ef6b-5fef-401c-b469-98016ccdb9c3"><strong><span>Minutes before Trump's announcement, $800 million in trades made on oil prices</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The delays are due to a partial government shutdown, which has prevented TSA agents from being paid.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>For more than six weeks, TSA agents have been expected to come into work even though they aren't receiving a paycheque.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Instead, a huge number of the agents are calling in sick.</span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/world/ice-airport-donald-trump-queues-tsa-unpaid-usa-politics-news/0344620f-1a30-42af-b4d8-7817107bcd8a" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>On Sunday Trump announced he would send ICE agents into airports.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"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," he wrote on Truth Social.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"I look forward to seeing ICE in action at our Airports."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>But ICE agents at the airports appear to have made little difference to queue lengths.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Passengers have been taking photos of the heavily armed agents standing around doing nothing at airports across the US.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/jd-vance-iran-petrol-prices-worse-overseas-gas-usa-politics-news/9bf2bac5-eb01-4f07-beeb-cbb79d7c1e94"><strong><span>The comments from Trump's right-hand man that should annoy every Aussie</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Meanwhile, the head of the TSA's union Everett Kelley has decried their use.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"TSA officers spend months learning to detect explosives, weapons and threats specifically designed to evade detection at checkpoints," Kelley said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"You cannot improvise that.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Putting untrained personnel at security checkpoints does not fill a gap. It creates one."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/trump-racist-tweets-usa-who-are-the-congresswomen-attacked-ocasiocortez-pressley-omar-tlaib-politics-news-united-states/47b1ee93-ee41-4d4b-a5d3-bb24814984cd" rel="" target="" title="Democratic Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley"><span>Democratic Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley</span></a><span> said rogue ICE agents "have no business" at airports.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"This has nothing to do with public safety because it's making everyone less safe," she said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"This is all just meant to intimidate. The cruelty is the point."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/donald-trump-pearl-harbor-japanese-prime-minister-sane-takaichi-usa-politics-news/3503f82c-91b9-466e-b287-0d8f09c74842"><strong><span>Trump compares Iran attack to Pearl Harbor in front of Japan's PM</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The TSA are unfortunate casualties in a standoff between Democrats and the Trump administration.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Democrats have refused to vote on funding the Department of Homeland Security unless major changes are made to ICE.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>They want to require ICE agents to wear identification and not wear masks, wear body cameras and only enter private property with a judicial warrant.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>ICE would be prohibited from carrying out immigration enforcement operations at hospitals, schools, childcare facilities, churches, polling places and courts.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>But the Trump administration has refused, resulting in funding getting cut for the Department, which includes the TSA.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Yesterday Democrats put forward a bill that would ensure that TSA agents would get paid, but it was knocked back by Republicans.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/donald-trump-kharg-island-ground-troops-invasion-of-iran-usa-news/765b7562-cb23-436c-b7fa-b8a0acd616ff"><strong><span>Trump considering ground invasion of critical Iranian island: reports</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Instead of paying our TSA workers, Trump is using ICE as his personal gestapo to manufacture fear and chaos in our airports," </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/usa-florida-lawmakers-allowed-alligator-alcatraz-say-detainees-packed-into-cages/2a77bb3e-3545-456f-8971-f139b6112dd5" rel="" target="" title="Democratic Congressman Maxwell Alejandro Frost"><span>Democratic Congressman Maxwell Alejandro Frost</span></a><span> said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>While TSA agents aren't getting paid, ICE agents are, thanks to funding in Trump's so-called Big Beautiful Bill that was passed last year.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><em><span>NEVER MISS A STORY:</span></em></strong><span> </span><strong><em><span>Get your breaking news and exclusive stories first by following us across all platforms.</span></em></strong></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><ul><li><strong><em><span>Download the 9NEWS App here via</span></em></strong><span> </span><a href="https://apps.apple.com/au/app/9news/id1010533727" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>Apple</span></em></strong></a><span> </span><strong><em><span>and</span></em></strong><span> </span><a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=nineNewsAlerts.nine.com&amp;hl=en_AU&amp;pli=1" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>Google Play</span></em></strong></a></li><li><strong><em><span>Make 9News your preferred source on Google by</span></em></strong><span> </span><a href="https://9.nine.com.au/8x987w" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>ticking this box here</span></em></strong></a></li><li><strong><em><span>Sign up to</span></em></strong><span> </span><a href="https://login.nine.com.au/edm?client_id=nineatnine" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>our breaking newsletter here</span></em></strong></a></li></ul></div></div>