US immigration agents will be deployed to airports on Monday, President Donald Trump said, escalating a standoff in Washington over a government funding deal.
Long lines at airports caused frustration among travelers over the weekend as a partial government shutdown forces Transportation Security Administration agents to work without pay.
More than 400 TSA workers have quit, and if a funding deal is not reached soon, experts expect a surge in resignations.
As Democrats push for tighter limits on how immigration agents operate nationwide, the US border czar said they will conduct only ânon-significantâ tasks at airports, such as guarding exits.
There are few signs that lawmakers are close to a breakthrough to end the shutdown.