ICE arrested more than 800 people after tips from TSA, investigation shows

Key Takeaways

• It has been reported that Reuters reviewed internal data showing TSA shared more than 31,000 traveler records with ICE (US Immigration and Customs Enforcement) from the start of President Trump’s second term through February 2026.
• It has been reported that ICE arrested more than 800 people after receiving tips from TSA, a far higher figure than was previously public.
• The traveler records came from the TSA Secure Flight Program, created in 2007 to screen passengers against terrorism-related watchlists; the program’s stated purpose was counter‑terrorism, not routine immigration enforcement.
• The disclosures come amid a partisan fight over DHS funding and the deployment of ICE officers to airports, raising concerns among Democrats, immigration advocates and travelers about routine policing at airports.

What Reuters found

It has been reported that Reuters’ review of internal agency data shows TSA supplied ICE with over 31,000 traveler records, and that ICE used those leads in operations that resulted in more than 800 arrests between the start of Trump’s second presidency and February 2026. The records were drawn from the Secure Flight Program, which TSA created to match passenger information against government watchlists. Reuters could not determine how many of those arrests happened inside airports; the tips are useful principally because they identify when people will be traveling.

Policy and legal context

ICE and the TSA are both components of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The Secure Flight Program’s regulatory text describes it as a counter‑terrorism measure; using it to generate immigration enforcement leads marks a significant shift in operational emphasis and has triggered criticism from Democrats and civil‑liberties advocates. The reporting comes amid a larger political standoff: a fight over funding for DHS that left some TSA officers unpaid, prompted absences among screeners, and led to the temporary deployment of ICE officers to more than a dozen airports — a move Democrats say risks creating confusion and fear at airports.

Human impact — what this means for travelers

For noncitizens and families, the practical takeaway is increased risk when flying. It has been reported that arrests have included people with final orders of removal as well as long‑term residents detained at airports; such incidents can occur when people who lack current immigration status travel, even for routine family trips. If you are a noncitizen planning travel, consult an immigration attorney before flying, carry contact information for counsel, and be aware that the presence of ICE at airports may lead to on‑the‑spot enforcement actions. For immigration lawyers and advocates, the disclosures will likely prompt renewed calls for clear limits on how passenger screening data can be used for immigration enforcement.

Source: Original Article