A government watchdog group released a memorandum of agreement on Tuesday, July 28, 2026, detailing how the Transportation Security Administration shares passenger data with Immigration and Customs Enforcement to facilitate airport arrests.
According to an immigration memo obtained by ABC News, federal authorities have executed at least 27 arrests across nine states.
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The arrests target individuals who overstayed their visas at check-in counters and departure gates nationwide.
Immigration attorneys report that those detained often lack criminal records and hold valid work permits or pending green card applications.
They face enforcement actions during routine domestic travel.
Federal officials defended the operational shift as part of broader immigration compliance measures.
A DHS spokesperson said the department reversed what they called the "horrendous Biden-era policy" that allowed individuals in the country illegally to fly domestically.
Immigration practitioners noted that while federal agents have authority to enforce removal orders, relying on checkpoint data matches introduces a new enforcement environment.
One practitioner said the venue and method are new, with ICE working alongside TSA at check-in counters and gates, bypassing warrants and surveillance used in the past.
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Legal experts emphasized that the policy effectively transforms airport security into status checks for foreign nationals.
Routine air travel has become a legal status audit for millions of visa holders and green card applicants.
An attorney noted that airports are becoming a new enforcement zone for people living lawfully with valid work permits but pending green card applications.
She said ICE is exploiting a legal gray area where pending applications do not carry the same protection as approved ones.
The 16-page document, obtained by nonpartisan watchdog American Oversight through a Freedom of Information Act request, cites the Secure Flight Final Rule as the legal foundation for data exchanges.
The agreement states its scope is limited to data exchange to enhance national security, transportation security, law enforcement, and immigration and border management.
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The disclosure follows earlier deployments in March, when the Trump administration sent ICE officers to more than a dozen domestic airports to cover TSA staffing shortages during a congressional funding impasse.
