Trump blames Dems for DHS shutdown, promises TSA pay via ‘One Big Beautiful Bill Act'

PALM BEACH, FLORIDA: President Donald Trump criticised Democrats over the partial government shutdown linked to Department of Homeland Security(DHS) funding, while stating that Transportation Security Administration workers “will be paid,” during remarks to reporters aboard Air Force One en route to Joint Base Andrews on Sunday, March 29.

Trump signed an executive order on Friday directing DHS to immediately pay officers from the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), aiming to alleviate long security lines. Democrats have blocked funding over immigration enforcement tactics carried out by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

Trump promises TSA pay during DHS shutdown standoff

During remarks, one reporter asked Trump, “How long can you pay TSA workers for?” He replied, “From the one big, beautiful bill. Well, we're going to pay them for as long as we have to.”

He continued, “And I will tell you, the ICE workers have been amazing. And they're helping people with their bags. It's very interesting. We put ICE there. And ICE got a very unfair press.” Trump added, “They're doing an amazing job getting hardened criminals, murders. Murderers were allowed to come into our country through Biden."

He further stated, “Now, we said, give us a little hand during this period of time because this is caused by Democrat te*rorists. These people are sick. They don't care about our country. They don't care about people.”

Trump also said, “But what it's all about, really, is they want to have open borders and they want to have criminals come into our country so they can get more votes because they're losing votes fast.”

Continuing his remarks, he said, “Look at how I did with the Hispanic population. And now I'm doing even better with the Hispanic population. And that's bad for them. They always had it. Now they don't have it anymore. These are people that want our country to fail, and the voters see that.”

Trump previously justified the executive action by stating, “America’s air travel system has reached its breaking point. I have determined that these circumstances constitute an emergency situation compromising the Nation’s security.” 

DHS shutdown disrupts airports as lawmakers clash over funding

Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said TSA workers “should begin seeing paychecks as early as Monday.” The DHS shutdown has resulted in travel delays and warnings of airport closures as more TSA workers missing paychecks stopped going to work.

Those workers had already endured the nation’s longest government shutdown last fall. Multiple airports have been experiencing greater than 40% callout rates of TSA workers, and nearly 500 of the agency’s nearly 50,000 transportation security officers have quit during the shutdown.

Nationwide on Thursday, more than 11.8% of TSA employees on the schedule missed work, according to DHS, which is more than 3,450 callouts.

The Senate passed a funding deal early Friday, but blowback from House Republicans came quickly. House Speaker Mike Johnson, upon opening the chamber for business, accused Democrats of playing a dangerous game and said he needed to talk with fellow Republicans about how to proceed.

After a lengthy conference call, Johnson blasted the Senate’s action, saying, “This gambit that was done last night is a joke,” and announced that the House would be going in a different route. Instead, the House on Friday night passed a bill to fund the entire department through May 22.

Johnson said he had spoken with Trump about the House Republican plan and that the president supported it. House Republicans were angered that the Senate bill does not fund ICE and Border Patrol, while Democrats refused to fund those departments without changes to immigration enforcement practices.