Recent reporting from the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times indicates that airport personnel have pushed back against requests from U.S. immigration authorities seeking to apprehend individuals at travel hubs. This resistance comes as the administration has intensified its enforcement push, resulting in numerous apprehensions over the last several weeks.
Last month, collaborative efforts between ICE and TSA—both operating under the Department of Homeland Security—reportedly led to as many as three dozen arrests per day at American airports. According to the New York Times, those detained have included people with pending green card applications and pending asylum claims rather than people with criminal records.
"It's not people with criminal records," stated Ghassan Shamieh, an immigration attorney based in San Francisco who saw four of his clients apprehended at airports within a ten-day span. "You are talking about people with legitimate pending applications."
This approach represents a notable departure from previous DHS practice, which typically steered clear of airport-based immigration enforcement to prevent disruptions to air travel. Aiming for a nationwide total of 2,000 arrests per day, ICE officers have now been observed making apprehensions in high-visibility zones like check-in areas and boarding gates, frequently involving individuals who entered legally, remained past their authorized stay, and have unresolved immigration petitions, according to the Journal.
"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," a DHS spokesperson told the New York Times.
The Journal reports that in Dallas, a federal officer attempting to board an aircraft was stopped by a Southwest Airlines gate employee who insisted on a judicial warrant. Airline staff also reportedly prevented ICE personnel from accessing a computer monitor during a boarding process.
Southwest responded to the Wall Street Journal by affirming its commitment to legal compliance and stated it has procedures "to ensure appropriate legal documentation is presented by law enforcement personnel before any information about customers is shared."
Since the TSA-ICE partnership started last year, hundreds of such arrests have taken place at airports. Industry representatives reportedly voiced their concerns directly to DHS during a meeting in July, expressing unease about the new policy direction.
The Journal notes that analysts worry these high-pressure interactions might create risks of escalation, potentially endangering passengers or staff. Sara Nelson, who leads the Association of Flight Attendants as international president, communicated to carriers in March that "the actions that federal enforcement authorities have taken in our workplaces have raised glaring workplace, safety and legal concerns for flight attendants."
The only official responses noted in the original reports come from the DHS spokesperson and the airline; no additional statements from ICE or TSA were provided.