TSA Provides Passenger Lists to Accelerate Deportations

Immigration officers are using a new data-sharing program at U.S. airports that gives them access to full lists of upcoming airline passengers, according to documents reviewed by the New York Times. Under the program, which began in March and had not previously been disclosed, the Transportation Security Administration regularly provides Immigration and Customs Enforcement with the names of travelers scheduled to fly. ICE then cross-checks those names against its database of individuals with final deportation orders and sends agents to airports to detain passengers, often shortly before boarding. A former ICE official said that in one region, roughly three-quarters of the flagged cases resulted in arrests.

A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security said the policy reflects a shift under Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, who reversed what the department described as a Biden-era approach that allowed people in the country illegally to travel without identification. “Under President Trump, TSA and DHS will no longer tolerate this,” the spokesperson said, according to CNBC.

Historically, TSA has used passenger data primarily for security purposes, such as screening against terrorism watch lists, rather than for routine immigration or criminal enforcement. Critics within and outside the government warn that turning airports into arrest locations could slow security lines, alarm travelers, and reduce places where undocumented immigrants feel safe moving freely.

ICE supporters describe the data-sharing effort as a “force multiplier” that helps the agency meet arrest targets set by the Trump administration, according to the Times. Immigrant advocates argue the strategy is meant to intimidate travelers and can result in rapid deportations before individuals have a chance to contest their cases. The program drew attention last month when 19-year-old college student Any Lucía Lopez Belloza was detained at Boston Logan Airport while attempting to fly to Texas to visit family and was later deported.

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