Tomi Lahren slams Democrats, says they're willing to 'starve' TSA agents for 'illegal aliens'

Conservative commentator Tomi Lahren has accused Democrats of deliberately leaving airport security officers without pay in order to push their immigration agenda, as a partial shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) continues to disrupt federal operations.

In a sharply worded post on X early on Friday, February 14, Lahren said Democrats were prepared to “starve TSA agents of their paychecks” in what she described as a “sham effort to keep as many illegal aliens in this country as possible”.

Tomi Lahren bashes Democrats over support to 'illegal aliens'

Lahren’s comments focused squarely on the impact of the shutdown on frontline workers, particularly officers with the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), who are required to continue working despite the lapse in funding. 

“Democrats are willing to starve TSA agents of their paychecks all in a sham effort to keep as many illegal aliens in this country as possible,” she wrote, before issuing a broader challenge: “Has there been a time in the last decade where Democrats haven’t put illegal aliens over Americans? Name ’em.”

Lahren and other conservative figures have long argued that Democratic immigration priorities come at the expense of American workers and public safety. 

Democrats cause partial government shutdown over DHS funding

The shutdown affecting the DHS took effect early Saturday, February 14, after lawmakers failed to reach agreement on annual funding for the agency. 

While the White House has been negotiating with Democratic leaders, talks collapsed before senators and members of Congress left Washington for a planned 10-day break. Lawmakers in both chambers have been told to return if an agreement emerges. 

Democrats have said they will not support additional DHS funding without new limits on federal immigration operations, following the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti and Renee Good in Minneapolis last month.

They are demanding stricter use-of-force standards for immigration enforcement officers and expanded oversight and reporting requirements for DHS components such as Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

The Democrats also want limits on certain enforcement actions, particularly those conducted without judicial warrants.

They argue the proposed restrictions are necessary to address accountability and oversight concerns within immigration enforcement agencies.

Republicans, by contrast, have framed those demands as unrelated to DHS funding. They say immigration enforcement conditions are policy changes that should be debated separately, not attached to must-pass funding bills. 

Republicans also argued that the new proposed restrictions could hamper frontline officers and weaken border and interior enforcement.