The New York Times reported at least twenty-seven arrests by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) across more than fifteen U.S. airports. ICE is targeting foreign nationals with expired visas at airports, a significant change in tactics. Historically, when ICE detained immigrants at airports, it only detained those who had outstanding final orders of removal. This new policy change greatly expands the pool of potentially removable individuals.
ICE agents first showed up in force at major U.S. airports in late March 2026, mainly to help Transportation Security Administration (TSA) staff during a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) funding shutdown. The data-sharing arrangement between TSA and ICE goes back to May 2025. However, it originally flagged travelers with existing removal orders, not anyone who overstayed their visa.
It’s still unclear exactly how many foreign nationals ICE arrested under this new push. This is due to the figures reported so far coming from an internal memo rather than official DHS data. What is clear is that the administration has set an ambitious target of roughly three thousand immigration arrests per day nationwide. Immigration attorneys say the airport arrests have swept up a mix of people, including tech and other skilled professionals, asylum applicants, and spouses of U.S. citizens, several of whom had pending green card or work permit applications on file when they were detained.
As always, ILBSG actively monitors ongoing U.S. immigration news. If you have questions about any U.S. immigration related issue, contact us. Working with an experienced attorney ensures you get the right advice based on the most recent laws. In an ever-evolving immigration policy landscape, it’s particularly critical you get the right advice.