Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers have detained travelers at check-in counters and arrival gates in at least 15 airports in recent weeks, expanding an enforcement effort that now targets foreign nationals who have overstayed their visas.

The New York Times reported that the arrests include spouses of American citizens, tech workers, and others whose visas have expired, many of whom have pending applications to extend their legal status. The expanded airport operations represent a new front in the Trump administration's deportation push.

From Deportation Orders to Visa Overstays

ICE's airport enforcement began by targeting people with existing deportation orders, using information shared by airlines with the Transportation Security Administration. The expansion to visa overstays marks a significant escalation of the program's scope.

Hundreds of thousands of immigrants and visitors overstay their visas each year, creating a population that exists in a legal gray zone. Many have jobs, families, and deep roots in American communities. Unlike illegal border crossers, they entered the country lawfully but remained past their authorized stay.

Part of a Broader Enforcement Push

The airport arrests support the administration's goal of approximately 2,000 immigration arrests per day. That target has required ICE to use various enforcement tactics beyond traditional workplace raids and home visits.

Agents are now stationed at airports including major hubs like JFK, LAX, and O'Hare, according to immigration attorneys who have clients caught up in the enforcement action. The arrests typically occur when travelers present identification to airline staff or TSA agents, triggering checks against immigration databases.

ABC News reported that an internal Homeland Security memo confirmed the expanded targeting of visa overstays as official policy. The document reportedly instructs agents to detain travelers whose visa status has lapsed, regardless of whether they have pending applications for status adjustment.

Legal Gray Areas Complicate Enforcement

Many visa overstays involve people awaiting decisions on green card applications, asylum claims, or other immigration petitions. The backlog in immigration courts and USCIS processing means some applicants wait years for decisions on cases that may ultimately be approved.

Immigration lawyers argue that arresting people with pending applications undermines the legal immigration system. Others counter that overstaying a visa is a civil violation that subjects the individual to deportation regardless of any pending petitions.

The airport enforcement strategy creates a deterrent effect beyond the individual arrests. Foreign nationals with precarious visa status may avoid air travel altogether, limiting their ability to visit family abroad or conduct business.

CNN reported that attorneys have begun warning clients about the risks of domestic and international air travel, advising some to avoid airports entirely until their immigration status is resolved. The chilling effect extends to legal permanent residents and even naturalized citizens who may face questioning or delays due to name matching issues in databases.

The administration has defended the enforcement actions as straightforward application of existing immigration law. Critics call it an overreach that sweeps up people trying to follow the rules alongside those deliberately evading them.