According to The New York Times, officers from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) have detained travellers at check-in counters, boarding gates and arrival terminals in at least 15 airports in recent weeks. Those reportedly affected include spouses of U.S. citizens, skilled foreign workers awaiting visa extensions, former exchange visitors and other migrants with pending immigration applications.
The report states that the crackdown expands an existing partnership between the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and ICE. While the programme previously focused mainly on individuals with outstanding deportation orders, it now reportedly includes people whose visas have expired, even if they have pending applications to remain in the country.
Although many foreign nationals awaiting decisions on visa renewals, green cards or other immigration benefits hold valid work permits, they have traditionally not been prioritised for deportation unless they were accused of criminal offences.
A spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security defended the policy, saying the administration remains committed to enforcing immigration laws.
"This administration is working diligently to ensure that aliens in our country illegally can no longer fly unless it is out of our country to self-deport," the spokesperson said.
The department, however, did not confirm whether the airport enforcement programme had officially been expanded.
According to the report, the White House has increased pressure on ICE to boost immigration arrests nationwide, with Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin reportedly setting a target of about 2,000 immigration arrests per day.
Immigration lawyers told The New York Times that the new enforcement strategy has affected clients from more than a dozen countries, including individuals with pending asylum claims, work visa renewals and marriage-based green card applications.
Among the reported cases is Chantal Morales Rojas, a 27-year-old Ecuadorian former au pair, who was allegedly detained while boarding a domestic flight despite having a pending immigration application and valid work authorisation. Another case involved a Ugandan woman living with sickle cell anaemia who was reportedly detained while her asylum application was still under review.
Reacting to the development, immigration attorney Charles Kuck described the arrests as unprecedented.
"In 38 years practising immigration law, I had never seen this. And I know it's happening to lots of people," he said.
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