Exclusive: ICE Arrested More Than 800 People After Tips From US Airport Security Agency

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested more than 800 people following tips ​shared by federal airport security officials from the start of Donald Trump’s presidency through February 2026, internal ICE data reviewed by ‌Reuters show, a figure far above what was previously publicly known.

The leads came from the Transportation Security Administration, which supplied ICE with records on more than 31,000 travelers for possible immigration enforcement, the data showed.

Reuters could not determine how many arrests took place inside airports, although the TSA tips would mainly be useful in determining when a person would ​be traveling.

ICE and TSA are part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. The agencies have historically shared information related to national security ​threats, but they began focusing on routine immigration arrests last year as part of Trump’s mass deportation effort.

The 31,000 traveler records were gathered by TSA’s Secure Flight Program, which was created in 2007 to allow the agency to ​review passenger information for people who may be on U.S. government watchlists. The program was intended as a counter-terrorism measure, not to track down immigration offenders, ​according to the regulation outlining its purpose.

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