The Trump administration has expanded its immigration enforcement tactics by stepping up arrests of foreign nationals with expired visas at airports across the United States, including people who are still pursuing legal pathways to remain in the country.
In recent weeks, immigration officers have detained travelers at more than a dozen U.S. airports, according to The New York Times. Immigration attorneys say the sweep has affected a wide range of people, from highly skilled workers awaiting visa renewals to spouses of U.S. citizens and former exchange visitors. Some of those detained were legally authorized to work while their immigration applications remained under review.
The operations reflect a shift in how immigration authorities are using airports as enforcement hubs. Previously, airport arrests largely cantered on individuals with final removal orders. Lawyers now say the focus has broadened to include visa overstays who have open immigration cases, even if they have no criminal history.
Reports indicate that immigration officers have carried out arrests at multiple stages of air travel, including airline check-in counters, security areas, boarding gates, and arrival terminals. Several incidents have circulated widely online after witnesses shared videos of travelers being taken into custody.
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One of the most widely discussed cases involved a 27-year-old Ecuadorian woman who was preparing to board a domestic flight from Denver. After scanning her boarding pass, she was reportedly asked to step aside before plainclothes immigration officers approached and escorted her away.
According to her attorney, she entered the United States legally through a cultural exchange program and later filed paperwork seeking permission to remain in the country. While her application was pending, she had received authorization to work.
Attorneys also pointed to the detention of a Ugandan woman living with sickle cell disease, who was reportedly traveling in a wheelchair despite having an active asylum claim before she was taken into custody.
The airport arrests have prompted immigration lawyers to rethink the advice they give clients with unresolved immigration matters.
For years, domestic air travel was generally viewed as relatively safe for people waiting on visa renewals, green card applications, or other immigration benefits. Lawyers now say they are increasingly urging clients with pending cases to avoid flying because of the heightened risk of being detained.
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Legal experts say the administration’s latest approach represents a significant escalation in enforcement, extending beyond people already facing final deportation orders to include individuals who have openly lived and worked in the United States while navigating the legal immigration system.
The expanded airport operations are part of the administration’s broader effort to intensify immigration enforcement nationwide. Federal immigration authorities have been directed to increase arrests as the government pursues a larger deportation campaign targeting people without lawful immigration status.
Homeland Security officials maintain that remaining in the United States after a visa expires violates federal immigration law, even if an individual later files application seeking legal status. Federal authorities have yet to provide data on the number of arrests made as part of the broader airport crackdown.