March 29, 2026 / 3:10 PM EDT / CBS News
Tom Homan said Sunday that Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents will continue assisting Transportation Security Administration staff at airports “until the airports feel like they are 100%.” Speaking on Face the Nation, Homan said ICE will keep a strong presence at airports until TSA can resume normal operations.
The Department of Homeland Security has been without an approved budget for more than 40 days. Early Friday, the Senate passed a DHS funding bill that excluded money for ICE and other immigration removal operations; the House rejected that measure and instead approved its own bill to fund the entire department, including ICE, for 60 days. With both chambers backing different proposals, the shutdown remains unresolved.
President Trump said he would reallocate funds to pay TSA agents, who have not received paychecks for over a month. TSA has reported roughly 500 agents resigning since the shutdown began. Homan warned that if fewer TSA employees return to work, “that means we’ll keep more ICE agents there,” and added that the president wants airports secured amid an elevated threat posture. ICE will support TSA “as long as they need us,” he said.
ICE and Customs and Border Protection are able to operate during the shutdown because they received money from Trump’s 2025 omnibus, and Secret Service personnel are being paid. Other DHS components — including FEMA, CISA and the U.S. Coast Guard — have not been funded, although active-duty Coast Guard members are currently paid with discretionary funds.
ICE and CBP tactics have come under scrutiny after two fatal shootings in Minneapolis in January, when immigration officers killed two U.S. citizens, Renee Good and Alex Pretti. Homan took charge of the Minneapolis operation following those incidents. DHS Secretary Kristi Noem left amid questions about contracts, and former Sen. Markwayne Mullin was sworn in as her replacement last week.
Democrats have refused to approve a DHS budget that does not include reforms to immigration enforcement. Homan rejected those demands, saying changes already have been made and noting the Senate bill would allocate $120 million for body cameras. He also disputed allegations that ICE routinely arrests undocumented immigrants in hospitals, places of worship or schools, saying agents generally try to wait and carry out arrests in residences or the community rather than in sensitive locations.