The Trump administration has begun sharing all touchpoints with potential illegal immigrants by providing the names of all air travellers to immigration officials.
Under the new directive, The New York Times reported that the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) will share data with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). ICE can then check names against its database of people facing deportation and send agents to airports to detain and deport those with existing removal orders.
ICE Can Now Arrest Illegal Immigrants in Airports
The TSA was previously focused on airport security, not domestic immigration enforcement. Tricia McLaughlin, a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson, responded to the change with a warning: ‘The message to those in the country illegally is clear: the only reason you should be flying is to self-deport home’.
However, experts are not convinced that it is an effective strategy, arguing that arrests at airports can only slow security and make travellers anxious. Claire Trickler-McNulty, a senior ICE official during the Biden administration, said, ‘If you have more officers conducting arrests at airports, it puts more strain on the system… and those who are unsure about their status will move away from air travel’.
The number of arrests made remains unknown. However, a former ICE official said that approximately 75% of the cases referred by the programme in their area led to the arrest of the individuals.
A Tool for Mass Deportations
Files reveal that the program led ICE to arrest Any Lucía López Belloza, a student at Boston Logan Airport who was detained on Nov. 20 and deported to Honduras two days later. On the same day, Belloza went through security using her Honduran passport without any issue and even had time to get a coffee. But when she attempted to board, her pass was not working.
When the agent’s computer was checked for a second time, an X appeared, indicating the customer service department. ‘One of the federal agents said, “Oh, you are Any,”‘ according to Ms. López. She was later arrested by U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents. At the point of arrest, Ms. López recalled, ‘He was like, “You are coming with us, and you will be doing a lot of paperwork”‘.
19-year-old Ms. López was not aware of the deportation order against her from 2018. She had been living and studying in the U.S. as a freshman at Babson College until she got arrested and was quickly deported through the new program.
Critics Fear Where ICE Detainees Go
Activists have condemned the program at the airport. Robyn Barnard, senior director of refugee advocacy at Human Rights First, said, ‘This is yet another attempt to terrorize and punish communities, and as a result, people will be terrified of even leaving their homes because they will be afraid of being arbitrarily detained and disappearing without a trace before they are given the chance to challenge their detention’.
For the Trump administration, it’s another way to speed up their deportation goals. There had been attempts to use other databases to locate immigrants whom they intend to detain or deport. Among themis the I.R.S., which consented to the release of migrants’ addresses to ICE. However, a federal court intervened and prohibited the action in November.
Now, López is figuring out a way to transfer to her college in Honduras. She said she missed going to church with her family, shopping in a Texas grocery chain, and her mother’s cooking.
Originally published on IBTimes UK
