US Airlines Talking With ICE and TSA Amid Uptick in Illegal Immigrant Arrests at Airports

Major U.S. airlines are in talks with the Trump administration about the sudden uptick in federal immigration arrests inside airports, the Washington Examiner has learned.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has put a greater focus on arresting illegal immigrants in the United States as they attempt to board domestic flights this summer, creating some uneasiness for airline passengers and concern in the aviation sector that airport enforcement could be bad for business.

Although ICE has focused more of its efforts on detaining individuals at or before Transportation Security Administration checkpoints, several incidents have occurred after security, including at gates.

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A spokesperson for Airlines 4 America, the trade association that represents leading U.S. airlines, told the Washington Examiner that airlines are speaking with Department of Homeland Security agencies ICE and the Transportation Security Administration.

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As of late July, ICE had arrested visa overstayers at airports across nine states, including California and Virginia.

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Although ICE has focused its efforts on arresting the “worst of the worst,” or illegal immigrants with criminal histories, the percentage of noncriminal arrests has grown since the spring.

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