NEWARK - Against the backdrop of ICE agents roaming Newark Liberty International Airport as President Donald J. Trump's government shutdown short circuits funding for TSA personnel, U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) came to the airport this afternoon to denounce the President's efforts to cause pain to Americans in order to get more money "for an agency America has rejected."

"He brings chaos and cruelty to the American people," Booker told reporters at the entrance to Terminal A. "We're seeing that now. We're seeing people having to wake up and leave [their] famil[ies] to wait in a line. It is cruel and it is chaos. All over this country we are seeing the long lines."

Booker laid out the situation in Washington, D.C.

"Democrats are saying 'here's the money, fund TSA [Transportation Security Administration]," said New Jersey's senior Senator. "He's saying no because of ICE. Nobody wants masked people jumping out of unmarked cars and whisking people from our streets. We've seen people use that MO to commit crimes."

The ICE agents in Newark today did not wear masks and that communicates a critical message, namely that Trump - big surprise coming up - lies.

"Donald Trump says we can't have these people unmasked because it's too dangerous," Booker noted. "Look around our airports now. They're unmasked, which seems to unmask his lies. ICE is reckless and out of control and Donald Trump is defending ICE and inflicting suffering on the America people."

The country's airports would run smoothly if trump funded TSA.

"I don't know how many times Donald Trump has to lie before we say enough already," said Booker. "Here are the facts. TSA needs to be funded. These are great people who come here every day to keep us safe and secure our air travel. They simply need a paycheck. We have brought resolution after resolution to the floor of the senate saying 'pay them.'

"It's not Democrats blocking... it's Republicans ordered by Donald Trump, who says, 'do not let them pay TSA.' He does not want to get rid of these lines. He wants to cause pain. ICE has more money than most militaries on planet earth. Get ICE the hell out of our airports."

More here from MS NOW:

As the sixth week of the shutdown affecting the Department of Homeland Security continues, Democrats have repeatedly offered Republicans an obvious proposal that would lessen the impact of the standoff on the public: Lawmakers could immediately restore funding for agencies such as TSA, since it and other agencies have nothing to do with the fight over reforms to immigration enforcement tactics.

At that point, Democrats have said more narrowly focused negotiations could begin on funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection.

On Capitol Hill, Republicans have repeatedly rejected the Democratic offers, but behind the scenes, there has been some movement. In fact, MS NOW confirmed that Senate Majority Leader John Thune spoke directly with Donald Trump over the weekend on an alternative plan that would likely solve the problem: Under the proposal reluctantly embraced by the South Dakota Republican, Congress would fully fund all of DHS, except ICE, which Thune said the party could try to tackle in a separate budget reconciliation bill. (Reconciliation bills cannot be filibustered and would not be subject to the 60-vote rule.)