Foreign passports and ICE: the combination alarming undocumented migrants at US airports

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has broadened its scope of deportations, now actively detaining individuals with expired visas at airports nationwide, a significant shift from previous enforcement priorities. This new strategy targets a larger group beyond those already subject to deportation orders.

In recent weeks, plainclothes ICE agents have been observed apprehending individuals at check-in counters and boarding gates in at least 15 U.S. airports. This operation represents an expansion of interagency collaboration, particularly between ICE and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). According to The New York Times, which reviewed Department of Homeland Security (DHS) documents, the focus has shifted to include individuals with expired visas, a demographic previously not prioritized for deportation unless they had committed crimes.

The intensified airport operations are part of the federal administration's push to achieve a national target of 2,000 immigration arrests per day, doubling the pace seen earlier in the year. This approach has raised concerns among immigration lawyers, who report that detainees include individuals with legitimate immigration applications, such as pending visa renewals, valid work permits, or pending residency applications.

One notable case involved Chantal Morales Rojas, an Ecuadorian woman detained on July 20 while boarding a Southwest Airlines flight. Her boarding pass scan triggered an alarm, leading to her interception by agents. Another reported arrest involved a Ugandan immigrant in a wheelchair who had an active asylum application. These instances highlight the diverse profiles of individuals now being targeted under the expanded enforcement measures.