VIDEO: Booker, ACLU of NJ Hold Press Conference at Newark Liberty International Airport to Demand Full TSA Funding and Removal of ICE Agents in U.S. Airports

NEWARK, N.J. - U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ), held a press conference at the Newark Liberty International Airport and stood with ACLU of New Jersey Executive Director Amol Sinha demanding that Republicans join Democrats in supporting immediate funding for the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), ensuring that the nearly 50,000 officers who safeguard America's transportation systems finally receive the paychecks they've earned. Booker and Sinha urged Republicans to pass the funding bill they are repeatedly blocking, underscoring both the public-safety and civil-rights consequences of continued inaction. Booker also called on President Trump to reverse his order deploying Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) personnel to patrol U.S. airports.

Senate Republicans have voted against Democratic measures funding TSA seven times in recent weeks.

"I came to Newark's airport today with a simple message: fund TSA and get ICE the hell out of our airports," said Senator Booker. "What we are seeing right now is chaos and cruelty. Families are being forced to wake up before dawn just to stand in endless lines because the people who keep our airport safe aren't being paid. TSA offices show up every day and protect us. They deserve a paycheck. We've brought resolution after resolution to the Senate floor to pay them, and every time it's been blocked at the direction of Donald Trump. He doesn't want to fix the lines, he wants people to feel pain. Meanwhile, ICE has more money than many militaries on Earth. It's time to get ICE the hell out of our airports."

"The Trump administration's deployment of armed agents to our airports is an unprecedented escalation against the American people," said Amol Sinha, ACLU of New Jersey Executive Director. "After refusing to fund TSA and manufacturing a crisis at our airports, people are now forced to interact with ICE agents who inspire fear among families and are unlikely to keep our airports safer. We are grateful for Sen. Booker's leadership in calling out this political retribution and call on Congress to take immediate action to rein in ICE's attack on our communities."

Since March 5th, Senate Republicans have blocked seven separate bills to fund frontline homeland security workers. In just two weeks, they halted legislation to fund every DHS agency except ICE, CBP, and the Secretary's office; blocked four bills to fund TSA, CISA, the Coast Guard, and FEMA; rejected another bill that would have paid TSA workers; and then blocked both another TSA pay bill and legislation to fund all DHS agencies except ICE, CBP, and the Secretary's office. At every turn, Republicans have refused to fund TSA, FEMA, CISA, the Coast Guard, or other DHS components unless Congress approves additional, unrestricted ICE funding with no reforms.