Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents have begun mass arrests of foreign nationals with expired visas directly at US airports. The operation targets people trying to board domestic flights in the US. According to exclusive documents cited in an investigation by The New York Times (nytimes.com/2026/07/28/us/ice-arrests-airports-visa-overstay.html), federal authorities are using data from Air Force One to catch overstayers.
Who is being targeted by immigration authorities?
Husbands detained: Foreign nationals married to US citizens awaiting their green cards are being arrested. Technology professionals: Engineers and IT experts with pending applications for work visa extensions are being turned away from the gates. Airline employees: Among those detained are even stewards on regular flights, as reported by the media network of CNN (cnn.com/2026/07/28/us/ice-airport-arrests). Permit Holders: Targeting also includes individuals with valid work documents but previously expired visas.
Enhanced Screening Mechanism
The new tactic is driven by direct intelligence collaboration between the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and ICE. The system automatically flags names of passengers with visa inconsistencies when checking domestic tickets. Plainclothes agents wait and hold faces on the very sleeves to board the planes.
A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson told Yahoo News (uk.news.yahoo.com/ice-ramps-arrests-airports-nyt-003459714.html), that the goal is to "undocumented aliens will not be able to fly within the country unless they leave the United States". The White House has set a goal of reaching 2,000 immigration arrests per day nationwide. Lawyers and law firms are already advising their clients without settled permanent status to avoid all air travel within the United States.