(The Lion)–Congress must end the partial government shutdown and open Transportation Security Administration (TSA) immediately, but they must also fully fund Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers, Senator Josh Hawley told The Lion in an interview Thursday.

“I would vote today to reopen TSA,” he said. “I want to see ICE be fully funded, but there’s no reason to link up TSA and ICE in the way the Democrats have.”

Hawley said the Democrats are liable for shutting down TSA for more than six weeks after they refused to pass funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to protest ICE operations.

“Democrats did this a month and a half ago. It was insane the day they did it. It has gotten more insane every day. Our airports are in crisis,” he said.

Additionally, law enforcement agents, such as ICE and Border Patrol officers, deserve full pay, as they continue to keep violent criminals off the streets, Hawley said.

“I want their salaries paid. They keep us safe. We should want them doing those jobs, and I want to see them get the pay that they deserve,” he said.

Illegal immigrants who commit violent crimes must be deported, Hawley added.

“I want people who attack all cops – like it’s happened in Kansas City – I want illegals who have committed murder – as has happened in the St. Louis area – I want them deported,” he said. “I think every family in America should, and probably does – at least in the state of Missouri. So, to do that, we need to fully fund our law enforcement.”