Airport arrests strain airline-industry relations
Federal immigration agents arrested more than 50,000 people in July, a record number for the Trump administration, which has reportedly demanded 2,000 ICE arrests daily. The surge in enforcement has brought new tactics, including arresting travelers at U.S. airports—many of whom have pending green card applications or valid work permits.
The public nature of these arrests has drawn attention on social media, as reported by KQED. According to a Wall Street Journal report cited by The Guardian, ICE and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), both part of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), expanded their collaboration last month to make as many as three dozen daily arrests at U.S. airports.
Some of those detained include a former au pair, an asylum seeker with sickle cell anemia who uses a wheelchair, and women married to U.S. citizens applying for green cards, as detailed in a New York Times report cited by The Guardian.
Workers resist, industry pushes back
In one incident in Dallas, a federal agent reportedly tried to board a plane in search of a target, but a Southwest Airlines gate agent refused to allow the officer to board without a warrant signed by a judge. The agent was also blocked from seeing a computer screen. Southwest has stated that it follows the law and requires proper documentation before sharing customer information.
Airline industry representatives met with DHS in July to express discomfort with the policy, according to The Guardian. Sara Nelson, president of the Association of Flight Attendants, raised safety and legal concerns in a letter, the report added.
Legal and human impact
Immigration attorney Ghassan Shamieh, who told The Guardian he had four clients detained at airports over 10 days, said: "It's not people with criminal records. You are talking about people with legitimate pending applications."
A DHS spokesperson told the New York Times, as cited by The Guardian: "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."
KQED's coverage highlighted the ways ICE is targeting individuals who have legal protections, featuring discussions with Wall Street Journal reporter Michelle Hackman, immigration attorney Ghassan Shamieh, law professor Deep Gulasekaram, SIREN executive director Huy Tran, and Oakland resident Lauren Schneider.
The enforcement shift marks a departure from earlier practice, as DHS has generally avoided immigration enforcement at airports to avoid disrupting domestic travel. With the goal of 2,000 daily arrests, ICE has begun detaining individuals in public areas far from security checkpoints, including ticket counters and near gates.