Democrats are now holding your travel plans hostage, and they admit they’re doing it to stop immigration enforcement and institute some sort of amnesty.
The shutdown, now affecting airport security operations nationwide, has left Transportation Security Administration officers working without pay and contributed to mounting delays during one of the busiest travel periods of the year. Republicans have blocked Democratic-backed funding bills that would restore operations for TSA and other agencies that have riders in them to cripple ICE’s efforts to deport illegal aliens, often being joined by Democrat John Fetterman.
Recent remarks from Sen. Peter Welch, a Democrat from Vermont, have intensified scrutiny over the strategy and revealed that Democrats are essentially causing massive wait times at the airport in an effort to force some sort of amnesty for illegal immigrants, noted Breitbart.
During a C-SPAN appearance, Welch suggested that funding all DHS components except immigration enforcement agencies could create leverage for a long-delayed immigration debate. He indicated that separating ICE from the broader funding package “may allow us, then, to have… a discussion that’s overdue” on “a reasonable immigration plan and a reasonable way to deal with some folks who don’t have legal status.”
In the midst of the deliberate suffering Democrats are imposing upon Americans at the airport, you have Democrat Senator Peter Welch getting to the core of what they’re really after:
Some form of amnesty.
“If we were able to open up the rest of the government and focus on the… https://t.co/VDIazQPEdc pic.twitter.com/2a0cFbQgMJ
— Western Lensman (@WesternLensman) March 22, 2026
The comments were quickly seized upon by critics as confirmation that the ongoing disruption—including unpaid TSA workers and worsening airport congestion—is being used as pressure in a larger policy fight over immigration, including potential pathways to legal status for undocumented immigrants.
ICE is funded through 2029 and Democrats don’t like.
Legal analyst Jonathan Turley highlighted Welch’s remarks as part of a broader pattern. He pointed to similar statements from other Democratic lawmakers emphasizing resistance to ICE funding as the central issue in the standoff. According to Turley, the dynamic suggests a calculated effort to isolate immigration enforcement in budget negotiations while allowing pressure to build elsewhere in the system.
Rep. Adam Smith (D-WA) stated the reason for the continued shutdown succinctly: "What we don’t want to fund is ICE.” Defunding ICE is clearly a non-starter with a majority in Congress and a majority of the public. However, Democrats are continuing this absurd shutdown…
— Jonathan Turley (@JonathanTurley) March 17, 2026
On the ground, the consequences are becoming increasingly visible. TSA staffing shortages have reportedly worsened as officers miss paychecks, with some choosing to leave their posts altogether. Travelers across the country are encountering longer lines, delays, and operational strain at major airports.
Democratic leaders have defended their approach, arguing that essential services like TSA should not be tied to contentious immigration enforcement debates. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) has accused Republicans of prolonging the disruption by refusing targeted funding measures, framing the situation as an avoidable crisis.
Republicans, however, maintain that the piecemeal approach is itself the source of the impasse, pointing to the fact that ICE is funded through 2029 and Democrats are essentially holding TSA hostage in a sad attempt to change something that has already been decided.
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