The TSA has been sending ICE lists of all air passengers multiple times per week since March, enabling ICE to match names against its list of people with final removal orders. Documents show at least two arrests resulted from the information, including the deportation of a college student from Boston Logan Airport. A former ICE official said TSA provided photos plus flight numbers and departure times. Critics warn the practice could disrupt travel and chill air travel among vulnerable communities.
TSA Has Been Sharing Names Of All U.S. Air Passengers With ICE, Documents Show
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has been transmitting passenger name lists for everyone passing through U.S. airports to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) multiple times per week since March, according to reporting by The New York Times and related documents.
What the Documents Reveal
ICE uses the lists to compare travelers’ names against its internal roster of people with final orders of removal and then targets enforcement actions based on matches. While the total number of deportations tied to the program is unknown, the documents show at least two high-profile arrests that followed from leads generated by the data-sharing arrangement.
One case involved Any Lucía López Belloza, a college student who was met at her gate at Boston Logan Airport while preparing to travel for Thanksgiving and was deported to Honduras two days later. Boston ICE officers said they were alerted by the agency’s Pacific Enforcement Response Center in California, which flagged Belloza’s upcoming flight after receiving information from TSA.
The same Pacific Enforcement Response Center also used TSA-provided information to prompt an October arrest of Marta Brizeyda Renderos Leiva at a Salt Lake City airport, according to the documents.
What Information Was Shared
A former ICE official familiar with the initiative told reporters that TSA supplied ICE with passengers’ names along with photos, flight numbers and departure times. While airlines have long provided passenger data to TSA for watchlist checks, former agency officials say TSA has traditionally avoided an active role in domestic criminal or immigration enforcement.
“If you have more officers conducting arrests at airports, it puts more strain on the system, delays and complications may annoy and frighten some travelers, and those who are unsure about their status will move away from air travel,” said former ICE official Claire Trickler-McNulty, warning the practice could shrink spaces where people feel safe conducting everyday activities.
Implications and Questions
Advocates and some former officials say the program risks disrupting airport operations, chilling travel among immigrant communities and raising civil liberties concerns. Officials have not released comprehensive figures for how many arrests or deportations stem directly from the data-sharing program, leaving open questions about its scope, oversight and legal basis.
Note: Reporting cited in this article originates from The New York Times and related documents obtained by reporters.
