ICE expands domestic airport enforcement to meet daily deportation quotas
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is increasingly conducting arrests at U.S. airports during domestic travel, a tactic attorneys describe as a new and frequent strategy to meet the administration's goal of 2,000 daily arrests. Recent incidents in Las Vegas, Denver, San Francisco, and Chicago involve the detention of individuals with pending asylum applications, expired visas, or valid work authorizations. While the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) maintains that these actions target those in the country illegally, legal advocates argue that the enforcement is sweeping up people with lawful pending cases. The shift follows two fatal shootings involving ICE officers and coincides with a broader push to utilize secure airport environments for easier apprehension.