The check-in counter has become an enforcement checkpoint.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement is increasingly making arrests inside U.S. airports, and not only in international arrival halls. Officers are approaching travelers at domestic check-in counters, departure gates and jet bridges. CNN reported in late July that immigration attorneys were seeing the tactic with growing frequency, and NBC News and ABC News have since documented the same pattern across multiple states.
How the Arrests Happen
According to reporting from several outlets, plainclothes ICE officers approach travelers who have already been identified before the encounter begins. Agents arrive knowing the person’s name, date of birth and flight details, drawn from airline reservation data.
ICE first appeared in force at major airports in late March 2026, initially to assist the Transportation Security Administration during a Department of Homeland Security funding lapse. The role expanded from there. A DHS official has said the agency now makes roughly 20 to 40 arrests per day at airports. A document obtained by ABC News described at least 27 arrests carried out with this tactic across at least nine states, from California to Virginia.
Who Is Being Stopped
The early focus was on people with final orders of removal. Reporting indicates the scope has since broadened to include visa overstays and others without final orders.
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Those detained have included skilled professionals, asylum applicants and spouses of U.S. citizens. In some documented cases, travelers who presented valid Employment Authorization Documents, advance parole and USCIS receipt notices were detained anyway.
What This Means for Travelers
Domestic air travel now carries a risk profile it did not carry a year ago for many noncitizens, including some with pending applications and valid documents.
Carry original or certified copies of your immigration documents rather than relying on photos stored on a phone that may be seized or out of reach. That includes your EAD, advance parole, receipt notices and green card if you have one.
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Understand that TSA identity screening and ICE enforcement are separate functions, even when officers are standing near one another.
You have the right to remain silent and to decline to answer questions about your immigration status or country of birth. You may ask whether you are free to leave. You are not required to sign documents you do not understand, and signing certain forms can waive rights, including the right to see an immigration judge.
Tell family members your travel plans and give a trusted person your attorney’s contact information before you fly. If you have a pending case, discuss with your lawyer whether the trip is necessary at all. This article is for general information only and is not legal advice.
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