President Donald Trump has openly called airports “fertile territory” for US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers, who began deploying across the country on Monday to supposedly aid with security. This move comes as security lines are growing longer thanks to a shutdown at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which has put a halt on payments to Transportation Security Administration (TSA) workers.
While the president claims ICE agents are “really there to help,” he didn’t exactly rule out immigration arrests at airports when asked by reporters. In fact, he said ICE officers “love it because they’re able to now arrest illegals as they come into the country.” According to The Hill, the deployment immediately set off alarm bells for numerous congressional Democrats.
