White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Wednesday that Americans experiencing long lines should call their Democratic representatives and tell them to fund the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
In a post on X, the White House said: “President Trump wants the Department of Homeland Security FULLY funded and reopened. To every American missing a paycheck or stuck in endless TSA lines – thank you Democrat.”
“President Trump wants the Department of Homeland Security to be fully funded and fully reopened. So to every American who is struggling without paychecks, we know there are more than a hundred thousand of you across the country, to every American who shows up at the airport and faces incredibly long wait times in lines, call your Democratic member of Congress and tell him to completely strip Trump’s Department of Homeland Security of what he wants to do.” The American people are suffering as a result of these games being played by Democrats on Capitol Hill,” Leavitt said.
Long security lines at several U.S. airports this week underscored the problems that could arise if a government shutdown occurs during the busy spring break period, according to the AP.
Houston’s secondary airport faced the worst disruptions, with passengers waiting more than three hours in security lines for most of Sunday and Monday. Passengers at other airports, including those in New Orleans and Atlanta, also reported waits exceeding an hour.
A surge in travel as schools begin spring break would strain airport systems even with normal staffing levels. Due to the staff shortages that often accompany government shutdowns, some airports are starting to feel under pressure. However, most airports have so far avoided extremely long security delays.
Earlier Monday, Michael H. Simon restrained federal officers from using tear gas during protests outside the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement building in Portland, Oregon, according to a lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union of Oregon on behalf of protesters and independent journalists.
The judge issued the preliminary injunction after a three-day hearing where prosecutors, including a protester known for wearing a chicken costume, an elderly couple and two freelance journalists, testified that chemical agents or projectile munitions were used against them, the AP reported.
The lawsuit, which names the United States Department of Homeland Security among the defendants, alleges that the use of such ammunition by federal officers is in retaliation against protesters and deters them from exercising their First Amendment rights, the AP reported.
To every American missing a paycheck or stuck in endless TSA lines – thank you Democrat.
“Plaintiffs have provided numerous videos that have been admitted into evidence that clearly show DHS officers spraying OC Spray directly into the faces of peaceful and non-violent protesters who are engaging in the most passive resistance and using tear gas and pepper spray into crowds of peaceful and non-violent protesters,” Simon wrote, using the term OC Spray to refer to pepper spray.
(With input from agencies)
