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ICE Arrests Surge at Airports, Opening New Front in Deportation Drive
The New York Times • • nation
Key Points:
- The Trump administration has started arresting foreign citizens with expired U.S. visas at airports, including spouses of American citizens, expanding the scope of immigration enforcement and increasing potential deportations.
- Immigration agents in plain clothes have been detaining individuals at check-in counters and arrival gates across at least 15 airports, sometimes causing public confrontations recorded by fellow passengers.
- This enforcement action is an expansion of a previous program where ICE used airline information via the TSA to arrest people with deportation orders; now it includes those with expired visas, a much larger group.
- Many visa overstayers were previously not prioritized for deportation if awaiting visa extensions or green cards, but the Trump administration’s mass deportation campaign now targets all visa overstays as illegal.
- The Department of Homeland Security stated the goal is to prevent unauthorized individuals from flying within the U.S. unless they are leaving the country, though it did not officially confirm the program’s expansion.
