Ted Cruz Pushes Separate ICE, CBP Funding Amid Airport Chaos As Government Shutdown Stretches TSA Lines To Four Hours
By Snigdha Gairola
Published on March 22, 2026.
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) is pushing for separate funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) separately from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) budget to address airport delays and staffing issues caused by the partial government shutdown. Cruz argues that this could bypass a political stalemate with Democrats and restore government operations more quickly. The shutdown has strained airport security, with some TSA officers missing paychecks and increased absenteeism contributing to delays of up to four hours at major airports during peak spring break travel.
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