Trump uses ‘the story of the paperclip’ to explain deploying ICE to airports

Politics
24 Mar 2026 • 5:14 AM MYT
The Independent
The Independent

The world’s most free-thinking newspaper

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  • Donald Trump announced the deployment of ICE agents to airports across the country on Monday, 23 March.
  • The agents were to be sent to arrest "all illegal immigrants" and provide unprecedented security.
  • This decision was made amidst severe staff shortages at the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) due to a partial government shutdown.
  • The shutdown had resulted in TSA agents working without pay and caused significant wait times at airports nationwide.
  • Trump justified the move by comparing it to the "origin of the paper clip," taking credit for the idea.

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