U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents have detained multiple travelers at airports nationwide in recent weeks, conducting arrests at departure gates, jet bridges and near terminal shops as the Trump administration intensifies efforts to reach a daily target of 2,000 immigration arrests.<\/p>\n
The actions form part of a broader strategy by ICE to increase enforcement, including heightened scrutiny of individuals with expired visas. Officials say the agency is focusing on those in the country illegally, particularly criminals and people who have ignored final removal orders from immigration judges, regardless of how they initially entered the United States.<\/p>\n
Border czar Tom Homan has repeatedly emphasized that priority is given to criminal aliens and visa overstays who fail to depart when required. A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson told CNN the administration is working to ensure that people present illegally \u201ccan no longer fly unless it is out of our country to self-deport.\u201d<\/p>\n
One case involved a woman detained at a Washington, D.C.-area airport while traveling to Texas for her father\u2019s funeral, according to her attorney, Joe Moravec. The woman, who requested anonymity, entered the country legally and is seeking asylum; she is now in ICE custody in Virginia. Moravec said another client was detained at Chicago\u2019s airport under similar circumstances and remains in custody.<\/p>\n
Immigration attorneys describe the airport operations as an escalation. Jeff Joseph, president of the American Immigration Lawyers Association, said the level of coordination between TSA and ICE is unprecedented. \u201cThat\u2019s the mousetrap. That\u2019s the cheese,\u201d he said, referring to people in the immigration process who are detained while traveling. He added that treating pending applications as a barrier to domestic travel would mark a significant shift.<\/p>\n
Senior DHS officials adjusted enforcement tactics after two fatal shootings involving ICE officers this month\u2014one in Houston and one in Maine. Both began with traffic stops in which agents said the suspects attempted to strike them with vehicles. Courts have long recognized vehicles as potential deadly weapons.<\/p>\n
Although airport arrests are not new, they have become more frequent amid pressure to increase detention numbers, according to former officials and advocates. John Sandweg, who served as acting ICE director under President Obama, noted that airports offer clear operational advantages. Through TSA, DHS receives advance passenger data that allows agents to identify targets before flights. The secured environment also means travelers typically carry no weapons, reducing the number of agents required.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt makes for an easy immigration arrest for ICE,\u201d Sandweg said. \u201cYou know exactly when and where they\u2019re going to be.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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