There have been several recent incidents at U.S. airports in which immigration authorities performed arrests on immigrants. A video went viral this month that showed U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement (ICE) arresting a Southwest Airlines passenger at Denver International Airport (DEN) as she attempted to board her flight on July 20.
Earlier in the month, an Instagram post went viral of travelers intervening in an arrest at Harry Reid International Airport (LAS) in Las Vegas. The incident showed two plainclothes U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers restraining a man on the ground, who was later identified as 57-year-old Phu Nguyen and was arrested the next day at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX).
Now, a memo obtained by ABC News shows that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is increasing deportations with a focus on arresting travelers at airports who overstayed their visas. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA), which is overseen by the DHS, has reportedly been working with ICE to assist in the arrest of travelers.
U.S. Homeland Security Is Focusing On Arresting Airport Travelers
A source told the outlet that arrests have occurred across the U.S. in at least nine states, including California and Virginia. In addition, there have been at least 27 arrests in airports, according to a document obtained by ABC News. It remains unclear, however, over what period these arrests took place.
Furthermore, immigration lawyers have been warning their clients about the risks of traveling within the U.S. In some cases, travelers who are arrested have no criminal record and even have valid work authorization or parole documents, an immigration attorney told ABC News.
DHS said in a statement to ABC News that it is working to ensure undocumented immigrants cannot fly domestically.
DHS reversed the horrendous Biden-era policy that allowed aliens in our country illegally to jet around our country,” DHS stated. “Under President Trump, DHS will no longer tolerate this. 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.”
American Oversight, a watchdog group, obtained a document proving that TSA and ICE have an agreement allowing them to share passenger information.
Immigration attorney Rosanna Berardi explained to ABC News how ICE and TSA are working together to target travelers at airports.
“ICE is working with TSA and targeting people at check-in counters and gates, sidestepping the warrants and surveillance operations used in the past. There is no investigation or no home visit involved. It’s simply a name match at a checkpoint, and that’s what makes this approach so efficient for ICE and so unsettling for travelers,” Berardi said.
This comes on the heels of ICE arresting a woman at Denver International Airport (DEN) who overstayed her visa, according to DHS.
ICE Arrest At Denver Airport Went Viral In July
Chantal Alejandra Morales Rojas, who is from Ecuador, was arrested on the jetway by plainclothes ICE officers and led out onto the tarmac. DHS confirmed the arrest to TheTravel.
DHS stated that Rojas entered the U.S. in 2024 and overstayed her visa.
“On July 20, 2026, ICE arrested Chantal Alejandra Morales Rojas, an illegal alien from Ecuador. She entered the country on October 20, 2024, on a visa that would allow her to stay in the country until January 4, 2025. In violation of our nation’s laws, she overstayed her visa,” DHS said in a statement to TheTravel.
The department added that Rojas “remains in ICE custody pending removal proceedings.” Rojas, an Oakland resident who was boarding a Southwest Airlines flight, spent two years working as an au pair, according to a GoFundMe created to cover her legal costs.
Southwest Airlines said in a statement that it will abide by the law when asked to share customer information.
“Southwest complies with applicable state and federal law when asked to share information about Customers. The airline has provided guidance to Employees to help ensure appropriate legal documentation is presented by law enforcement agencies prior to interactions in the gate areas. Southwest is committed to providing a safe travel experience for all Customers and Employees,” the airline said in a statement to TheTravel.
On July 25, the fundraiser provided an update that Rojas had “secured an excellent immigration lawyer who filed a habeas petition.”
A habeas corpus is a legal request that lets people who have been detained challenge their detention in court.
ICE arrests at airports have been flagged as occurring months prior to this latest report, however.
How Travelers Can Stay Safe From Airport Arrests
In December, the National Immigration Law Center (NILC), a non-profit organization that defends the rights of “low-income immigrants and their loved ones,” issued a community alert over ICE arrests in airports. The non-profit highlighted factors that would increase a person’s risk of arrest at a U.S. airport.
Six Factors / Circumstances With High Risk Of Airport Arrest
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Old deportation orders |
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Legal status that the government has or will soon revoke |
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Pending immigration status applications |
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Non-U.S. citizens with any criminal history |
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Green card holders |
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DACA holders and other people with deferred action |
NILC provided several tips, including having proof of lawful status and memorizing the phone numbers of a lawyer or a “loved one who can be on-call.” The organization also recommends that travelers take steps to avoid a device search, such as having their plane tickets printed.
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) also has a resource of scenarios that immigrants could encounter while traveling, ranging from strip searches to fingerprinting. While the scope of ICE’s efforts at airports remains unclear, travelers should be aware that such efforts are occurring.
TheTravel contacted DHS and TSA but did not receive responses in time for publication.
