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Airports are places where travelers expect security checks, long lines, and even law enforcement — especially since the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents started showing up in airports during the partial government shutdown.

However, despite some travelers being detained by ICE in recent months, it’s unusual to see a uniformed airline employee taken into federal immigration custody. That’s why the detention of a Southwest Airlines flight attendant at Nashville International Airport has drawn national attention.

Southwest Airlines employees and union members are now rallying behind him, saying the case is not only an immigration matter, but also a worker, union, and due-process issue.

Southwest Airlines Flight Attendant Was Detained By ICE After A Work Trip

Lorenzo “Enzo” Thompson, a Southwest flight attendant originally from Jamaica, was detained by ICE on July 14 at Nashville International Airport, according to federal officials and local reporting. According to CBS News, ICE claims Thompson overstayed a visa after entering the U.S. legally in 2021.

“Thompson was cooperative with ICE officers and taken into custody without incident. Cooperation of this nature helps ensure the process is conducted safely and efficiently for all involved. He will remain in ICE custody pending immigration proceedings,” the agency said.

However, Thompson’s supporters say the case isn’t that cut-and-dry, arguing that he has valid authorization to work in the U.S.

NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth reported that Thompson was detained after returning from a work trip and is currently being held at a correctional facility in Mississippi. Edward Marq, a Southwest flight attendant and member of the Labor Council for Latin American Advancement, told the outlet that Thompson had applied for and received a work permit after coming to the U.S. from Jamaica.

“Enzo came to America from Jamaica in 2021, he applied for and received a workers permit, so he applied to work with Southwest Airlines and he’s been with us all this time,” Marq said.

Marq also said Thompson has a pending asylum case.

Family and friends told NBC 5 they couldn’t get more into the details of the case because of ongoing legal proceedings. TheTravel has reached out to the Department of Homeland Security and Southwest Airlines for comment.

Coworkers And Union Members Say Thompson Deserves Due Process

The public response from Thompson’s fellow Southwest employees has centered less on arguing every legal detail and more on insisting that Thompson shouldn’t be simply reduced to an immigration checkbox.

Marq told NBC 5 he was stunned by the detention. “He is a union brother to me,” Marq added.

“People describe Enzo as very loving, as very caring, very friendly, everyone that he has flown with has really enjoyed their flying, and it is evident by the outpouring of support that I have seen on social media,” Marq told the outlet.

“We’re worried about him, but it’s beyond an immigration case. It’s about a worker, it’s about a union member, it’s about a family. Everyone deserves that due process and to have their case heard fairly,” Marq said.

TWU Local 556, the union representing Southwest flight attendants, also publicly addressed the detention. The union did not name Thompson in its initial statement, but confirmed that one of its members had been detained by ICE while at work and said it was coordinating with the member’s family, attorney, and the union’s own legal counsel.

“Our priority is, and always will be, standing with and supporting our Members,” the union said. “Every Member deserves to be treated with dignity and respect, and we are committed to ensuring this Member and their family know they are not alone during this difficult time.”

As of the latest GoFundMe update, over $44,000 of the $45,000 goal had been donated, which the organizers say helps with “overwhelming” and “mounting” legal fees.

“Since arriving, he has worked tirelessly to build a stable life, following every legal step toward citizenship,” a friend, Kristin Foster, wrote in the GoFundMe campaign organized for Thompson. “He has no criminal record. No parking tickets.”

The latest update also noted that “they are also transferring him further away from his home in Nashville each week,” with Thompson starting out at a detention center in Mason, Tennessee, only to be transferred to Mississippi and potentially headed to Louisiana next.

The case raises questions about airline worker screening

The case has raised a practical question among airline employees and travelers: how could someone work as a flight attendant if federal officials say their immigration status had been unlawful for years?

Supporters argue that Thompson’s employment history supports their claim that he had legal authorization to work. Airline workers must go through strict hiring procedures that include employment eligibility verification, badge access protocols, and recurring security requirements. Flight attendants also work in a heavily regulated environment where airport access and employee credentials are supposed to be under the highest level of scrutiny.

That doesn’t settle the unresolved details surrounding Thompson’s immigration status. Work authorization and immigration status can be complicated, especially when asylum applications, visa expirations, pending documentation, and federal proceedings all overlap. It is possible for someone to be authorized to work while still facing unresolved immigration proceedings, depending on the situation.

Airports Are Becoming A Bigger Flashpoint For Immigration Detentions

Thompson’s detention comes as immigration enforcement activity is ramping up under the current Trump administration.

Another recent case involved a Southwest passenger detained by ICE at Denver International Airport as she attempted to board a flight. That video went viral online and led some social-media users to accuse Southwest of even helping assist agents in arranging the arrest.

For most travelers, this doesn’t mean that Southwest flights are unsafe or that passengers should expect routine immigration checks at the gate. U.S. airports have always been places where federal agencies operate. But the difference now is that these incidents are happening more often, due to increased ICE operations in airports, and they’re also more likely to be recorded, shared, and debated in public.

Still, many U.S. citizens have admitted to taking extreme steps when traveling due to ICE’s airport presence, from switching airports to canceling travel entirely, simply to avoid any uncomfortable dealings with immigration authorities.