Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego (D-AZ) is speaking out after Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents were deployed to Sky Harbor International Airport to help with TSA staffing shortages amid a partial government shutdown, and she isn't happy about it.
ICE agents began showing up at airports across the country on today to help manage growing security lines.
Thousands of TSA workers have been reporting to work without pay or skipping work entirely amid an ongoing funding dispute over the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) budget.
Mayor Gallego placed the blame squarely on the White House, saying, "The sole reason for this partial government shutdown is the Trump Administration's reckless and irresponsible deployment of ICE, and its refusal to accept measures of accountability."
She further warned that putting untrained agents in charge of airport security was dangerous, noting that "leaving this important job to amateurs creates a risk we should not tolerate at American airports."
President's Initiative
President Donald Trump, however, blamed Democrats for blocking the funding needed to keep TSA workers paid. He also warned he could send National Guard troops to airports if ICE agents couldn't get the long lines under control.
President Trump made headlines when he asked ICE agents at airports to stop wearing masks, emphasizing that he supports masks when agents are tracking down dangerous criminals, but he wants a no-mask policy in airports.
The standoff got more complicated over the weekend when Trump said he would no longer negotiate with Democrats unless they passed the SAVE Act.
Trump called it "far more important than anything else we are doing in the Senate."
Meanwhile, travelers are being urged on social media to record any ICE activity they witness at airports.
With no agreement in sight, airport security lines and the political tension behind them don't appear to be easing anytime soon.
