ICE expands airport arrests of travelers with expired visas

Federal immigration agents are conducting a significant increase in arrests at airports across the United States, targeting travelers with expired visas, including individuals with pending immigration applications and spouses of U.S. citizens. The enforcement actions, carried out by plainclothes Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers, have been reported at at least 15 airports in recent weeks, marking a notable shift in immigration enforcement strategy.

The operations rely on a partnership with the Transportation Security Administration, which shares passenger information, allowing ICE agents to intercept individuals at check-in counters, security checkpoints, and arrival gates. While the Department of Homeland Security has not confirmed a specific expansion of airport enforcement, a spokesperson stated the administration is working to ensure that individuals in the country illegally cannot fly domestically unless they are departing the country voluntarily.

Immigration attorneys report that those detained include an engineer awaiting a work visa extension, a former au pair from Ecuador with a pending application, and multiple people married to U.S. citizens who were...