U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has begun arresting foreign nationals who have overstayed their visas at airports nationwide, a significant shift from a prior Biden-era policy. This intensified enforcement effort allows ICE to apprehend individuals who might otherwise travel freely within the country.
At least 27 individuals from more than a dozen countries have been apprehended while attempting to board flights, according to documents obtained by ABC News and cited by the New York Post. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) stated that the current administration is committed to preventing undocumented immigrants from flying domestically, emphasizing that such travel will only be permitted if it facilitates their departure from the country.
"DHS reversed the horrendous Biden-era policy that allowed aliens in our country illegally to jet around our country," DHS said in a statement. "Under President Trump, DHS will no longer tolerate this. This administration is working diligently to ensure that aliens in our country illegally can no longer fly unless it is out of our country to self-deport."
The renewed focus leverages passenger data shared between the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and ICE. A data-sharing agreement, signed in May 2025, allows TSA to provide ICE with specific passenger information, although the exact details of the data shared are largely redacted in publicly released documents. This partnership provides ICE with opportunities to identify and arrest individuals with expired visas.
Arrests have been reported at several major airports, including Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas, Nashville International Airport, Denver International Airport, and San Francisco International Airport. Video footage circulating on social media shows some of these apprehensions, including the arrest of Phu Nguyen, an Australian citizen whose visa expired in 2015, at LAX, and Chantal Morales Rojas, a 27-year-old Ecuadorian national, at Denver International Airport.
ICE confirmed that Rojas's visa had expired in January 2025, rendering her presence in the U.S. illegal. While these arrests have recently intensified, ICE has maintained a presence at U.S. airports for over a year. This expanded enforcement initiative is part of a broader effort by DHS to meet significant daily arrest quotas.