TSA and ICE Join Hands: More Than 800 People Arrested at Airports Across the Country

The TSA and ICE agents have been working closely since the beginning of Donald rump’s second term. As a result, some accurate leads shared by the TSA have resulted in arrests of more than 800 passengers at airports.

​According to a new report citing internal ICE data, the Transportation Security Administration shared crucial intel on over 31,000 passengers with flagged immigration issues. The Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents then carried out the arrests from January 2025 through February.

Based on a NewsNation report, the Two Accused Drug Smugglers Acquitted in Court After Key Witness Deported by ICE has tasked two of its agencies to work together on federal immigration enforcement.

An ICE official further confirmed receiving tips from the TSA frequently. They added, “It’s something we have always done. We get leads from the TSA all the time.”

​With the partial shutdown still in place, President Trump offered work around to reduce the long queues at airports. Amid TSA staffing issues causing passenger overload and excessive wait times, the ICE was announced to step in, take over and assist the airport staff.

About 14 airports all across the U.S. have ICE present. The Democrats have still not agreed to lifting the shutdown, as they demand serious reforms in the immigration crackdown tactics used by the agency.

​However, the lack of agreement between Republicans and Democrats over the matter has unfortunately resulted in partial payment for the TSA agents. These security officers have apparently missed getting two of their full paychecks, as the bill to be passed is still hanging in a standoff.

The deployment of ICE agents at airports has not gone without criticism. A majority of in-house Democrats were against having federal agents in airports. They claimed it would only lead to travelers feeling afraid and confused. Democrats condemned the use of force by ICE agents, saying it often causes anxiety among those they stop.

Meanwhile, the recent screening report of 31,000 travelers at airports obtained by ICE is part of the TSA’s Secure Flight Program. It enables the agency to screen passenger information thoroughly and helps identify potential suspects who have long been on the government’s watchlist.

The agency, however, states that the policy is more of an anti-terrorism countermeasure. It does not intend to crackdown immigration offenders. With the publishing of the recent report of arrests done with cumulative efforts of TSA, the ICE praised President Trump for his contribution. They lauded him for ‘pursuing solutions that improve resiliency, security and efficiency across our entire system’.