Trump adds new condition to ICE airport plan in DHS shutdown fight

Weeks into the Democrat shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security, Trump finally threatened to take matters into his own hands in the Transportation Security Administration lines on Saturday. And Trump gave an update on Monday, signaling his continued intention to deploy Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents at major airports.

On Monday, Trump announced that he would accept a slight change in policy for the ICE agents covering for TSA workers, all while taking some jabs at his political opponents.

'I would greatly appreciate, however, NO MASKS, when helping our Country out of the Democrat caused MESS at the airports, etc.'

"I am a BIG proponent of ICE wearing masks as they search for, and are forced to deal with, hardened criminals, many of whom were let into our Country by Sleepy Joe Biden and his wonderful 'Border Czar,' Kamala (she never even went to the Border!), through their absolutely INSANE Open Border Policy," Trump wrote on Truth Social.

RELATED: Trump threatens Democrats that he'll fix TSA himself — and it involves ICE

Photo by CHARLY TRIBALLEAU / AFP via Getty Images

However, he then added: "I would greatly appreciate, however, NO MASKS, when helping our Country out of the Democrat caused MESS at the airports, etc."

In the first year of the second Trump administration, opponents of ICE repeatedly called for the removal of face coverings for the ICE agents, arguing that masks allowed agents to act with relative impunity. Supporters of ICE argued that the masks were employed for the agents' own safety.

Trump said on Saturday that the ICE agents would "do Security like no one has ever seen before, including the immediate arrest of all Illegal Immigrants who have come into our Country."

Travelers have faced extremely long screening wait times as TSA workers continue to work without pay, if they show up at all. Many have been forced to get temporary jobs during the shutdown to make ends meet.

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