White House Urges Full DHS Budget Passage Amid Airport Chaos

TSA Salary Halt Causes Delays; Homan Demands Democrats Stop Blocking ICE Enforcement

The White House reaffirmed its stance that the full Department of Homeland Security (DHS) budget must be passed amid chaos at airports nationwide due to the DHS shutdown.

On the 29th, local time, Tom Homan, the so-called "border czar" and White House Coordinator for Border Security and Immigration Enforcement, stated, "U.S. President Donald Trump wants funding for the entire Department of Homeland Security."

Earlier, the U.S. Senate unanimously passed the DHS budget bill, but the shutdown occurred after House Republicans insisted the bill must include funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP).

Following the deaths of two U.S. citizens during an ICE immigration raid and protests in Minnesota last January, budget negotiations have stalled due to partisan conflicts over immigration enforcement policy reforms.

As a result, salary payments for Transportation Security Administration (TSA) employees responsible for airport security screenings were halted. With staff taking sick leave or resigning, major U.S. airports have seen wait times stretching to several hours.

President Trump reportedly ordered the DHS Secretary and the Director of the White House Office of Management and Budget to use alternative funds to pay TSA employees' salaries.

Homan targeted Democrats pushing for ICE policy changes, demanding they stop "demonizing ICE."

He argued, "The laws ICE follows today are the same laws that existed during the Clinton and Obama administrations regarding immigration enforcement. They are trying to block ICE from doing its job."

Homan further claimed threats against ICE agents had surged by 8,000% amid congressional criticism, urging, "Stop calling ICE Nazis or racists."