U.S. airports see increased immigration enforcement, New York Times reports

U.S. immigration authorities are intensifying anti-immigrant operations at airports across the country, with plainclothes agents arresting individuals holding expired visas at check-in counters and boarding gates, according to The New York Times.

In recent weeks, agents have reportedly been present at 15 airports, apprehending individuals from over a dozen countries. The targets have included spouses of U.S. citizens and technology sector workers. These operations stem from a cooperation agreement between the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), which operates under the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

"This Administration is working diligently to ensure that undocumented aliens are no longer able to fly, unless it is to voluntarily deport," a DHS spokesperson told the newspaper. The agency did not confirm whether the arrest program has been expanded or provide specific numbers of detentions. However, the increase in airport arrests coincides with a broader push to reach approximately 2,000 arrests daily, nearly double the figure from earlier this year.

Recent detentions include Chantal Morales Rojas, a 27-year-old Ecuadorian national, who was arrested on July 20 while attempting to travel from Denver to Oakland, California. Her boarding pass scan triggered an alarm, leading to her interception by two plainclothes agents. Morales Rojas had legally entered the U.S. in 2023 under an exchange program and had applied to remain in the country before her program's expiration. A judge set her bail at $3,000, and she is expected to be released after a GoFundMe campaign for her legal expenses.

Another case involved Iryna Gorb, who had been living in California for over ten years. She was detained upon returning from a trip to Portland. Video of the arrest, captured by Richmond City Councilwoman Doria Robinson, shows agents detaining Gorb inside the airport as she cried out for help, identifying herself as Ukrainian. DHS stated Gorb had overstayed her visa by 15 years and remained in the U.S. "illegally," and she is now in ICE custody awaiting deportation proceedings.

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This Administration is working diligently to ensure that undocumented aliens are no longer able to fly, unless it is to voluntarily deport.