TSA and ICE expand immigration enforcement at U.S. airports, report says

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) have expanded immigration enforcement operations at airports across the United States, resulting in the arrest of travelers with expired visas, according to a report by The New York Times.

The newspaper reported that plainclothes agents have conducted operations at 15 airports in recent weeks, arresting people from more than a dozen countries, including spouses of U.S. citizens and technology workers. The actions are reportedly part of a cooperation agreement between TSA and ICE.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) told the newspaper that the administration is working to ensure undocumented immigrants are unable to travel by air “unless it is to voluntarily self-deport.” However, the agency did not confirm whether the airport enforcement program has been expanded or disclose how many people have been arrested.

The reported increase in airport arrests comes as the Trump administration seeks to boost immigration enforcement nationwide, with a goal of reaching approximately 2,000 arrests per day. Among the recent cases cited by the newspaper is 27-year-old Ecuadorian national Chantal Morales Rojas, who was arrested on July 20 while attempting to fly from Denver to Oakland, California.