US Expands Airport Immigration Crackdown to Target Expired Visa Holders

United States immigration authorities have begun arresting foreign nationals with expired visas at major airports nationwide, expanding an immigration enforcement push under the Trump administration.

Officers from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) have been detaining travellers at check-in desks, boarding gates, and arrival terminals across at least 15 airports in recent weeks. Those affected include spouses of American citizens, skilled foreign workers awaiting visa extensions, former exchange visitors, and individuals with pending immigration claims.

The operations build upon an existing collaboration between ICE and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). While the joint effort previously prioritized individuals subject to active deportation orders, internal Department of Homeland Security (DHS) documents reveal the target pool has broadened to include anyone with an expired visa, regardless of whether they have active applications to remain in the country.

Historically, migrants awaiting decisions on green cards, asylum, or visa extensions—many of whom hold legal work authorization—were not prioritized for deportation unless they had criminal records. The updated approach reflects heightened pressure from the White House to scale up immigration detentions nationwide, with DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin setting an internal goal of roughly 2,000 arrests per day.

High-profile detentions include a 27-year-old Ecuadorian former au pair intercepted while boarding a domestic flight despite holding a pending immigration application, as well as a Ugandan woman with sickle cell anaemia who was detained while maintaining an active asylum case. Legal experts have described the practice of arresting individuals with active, lawful applications at domestic transit hubs as unprecedented.

A DHS spokesperson defended the administration’s actions, stating that federal agencies are working diligently to ensure non-citizens without valid status leave the country, though the department declined to confirm whether a formal policy expansion had been codified.