1. United States
2. Wash.
3. Letter

I am writing as your constituent regarding the alarming reports that ICE agents are being deployed to U.S. airports to address TSA staffing shortages caused by the ongoing DHS funding lapse. Recent reporting shows that TSA agents have been working without pay for weeks, leading to mass callouts, resignations, and dangerously long security lines. In response, the administration has deployed ICE agents—who are not trained in aviation security—to assist at airports. This is not a solution. It is a failure of governance. Using immigration enforcement personnel to fill critical aviation security roles raises serious concerns about: • Public safety, given the lack of TSA-specific training • Scope of authority, including potential immigration enforcement in airports • Civil liberties, especially for immigrant and mixed-status families • Executive overreach, substituting enforcement agencies for properly funded public services This situation exists because Congress has not fully funded TSA and DHS operations, leaving essential workers unpaid while shifting responsibility to unrelated agencies. I urge you to take immediate action: 1. Restore full funding for TSA and DHS immediately so trained personnel can resume proper operations. 2. Initiate congressional oversight hearings into the decision to deploy ICE agents in airports, including their roles, authority, and impact on safety and civil rights. 3. Demand clear limits on ICE activity in airports, ensuring no expansion of immigration enforcement under the guise of security operations. 4. Hold the administration accountable for substituting enforcement personnel for essential public safety workers. Airports are critical infrastructure. They must be staffed by properly trained professionals—not repurposed enforcement agents. Please respond with the specific steps you will take to restore TSA funding and provide oversight of this situation. This requires urgent, visible action.