1. United States
2. Texas
3. Letter

End the DHS shutdown immediately and remove ICE agents from airports. Deploying immigration enforcement officers to handle airport security is dangerous and wrong. These agents lack TSA screening training and are unfamiliar with airport layouts and security protocols. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer is right that this makes airports less safe, not more secure. More than 400 TSA officers have quit during this shutdown, and thousands more are calling out because they cannot afford gas, childcare, or rent. On Sunday, callout rates hit 42.3% in New Orleans, 41.5% in Atlanta, and 39.1% in Houston. Travelers are waiting over four hours to get through security. The solution is not to bring in Trump's immigration agents as substitutes. The solution is to pay TSA officers so they can do their jobs. ICE agents are being used for political theater while trained security professionals go without paychecks. Travelers at Newark Airport are asking the right question: why are ICE agents fully paid while TSA officers doing the actual work are not? Fund DHS now, remove ICE from airports, and let TSA officers get back to protecting travelers.