From the Airport to an ICE Detention Center: The New Risk Facing Immigrants in the U.S.

The expansion of immigration enforcement is no longer limited to raids at workplaces or in neighborhoods. It is now affecting people boarding domestic flights, a trend that civil rights organizations say reflects the growing reach of the Trump administration’s immigration strategy.

Immigration enforcement operations at U.S. airports are sending more immigrants into the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), even while they are engaged in routine activities such as traveling within the country. According to EFE, arrests at airport terminals have increased in recent weeks, and community organizations are now advising immigrants to consult an attorney before boarding a domestic flight.

Why it matters: Two recent cases illustrate the path some immigrants may now face: being detained at an airport and ending up in ICE custody, where some remain for weeks or even months while their immigration cases are pending.

Traveling Within the U.S. Can Now Lead to ICE Airport Arrests

ICE Airport Arrests: The New Risk Facing Immigrants in the US-Photo: ICE

According to EFE, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) sources cited by NBC said that U.S. airports are now seeing between 20 and 40 immigration arrests per day, compared with an average of about 10 daily arrests in May 2025.

The enforcement operations have reportedly been concentrated at at least 15 airports through coordination between the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and ICE, according to a report by The New York Times. Plainclothes agents are reportedly making arrests both at airline check-in counters and at boarding gates.

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Who is affected: Reported detainees include individuals with pending immigration applications, spouses of U.S. citizens, technology workers, and immigrants from more than a dozen countries.

One of the most recent cases involves Claudia Carolina Rodríguez Caglianone, a 28-year-old Venezuelan woman whose asylum application remained pending after Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Venezuelans ended. According to her family, she was detained at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport while traveling with friends to attend the FIFA World Cup final in North Carolina.

In response, the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA) issued an alert advising immigrants with pending permanent residency or asylum applications to consult an immigration attorney before making domestic travel plans.

The warning: CHIRLA said it has received reports of an increase in airport arrests in California, Florida, Texas, Nevada, New Jersey, Illinois, and Virginia.

What Happens After an Arrest Can Last for Months

The second case cited by EFE illustrates what can happen once someone enters the ICE detention system.

Edwin López Cornejo, a Latino immigrant who had lived in the United States for 20 years, died after spending more than a month at the Delaney Hall Detention Center in New Jersey. His mother said he was arrested on June 18 while on his way to work and that he suffered from diabetes, hypertension, and seizures.

According to her account, her son told her the day before his death that part of his face and his right hand had gone numb. Shortly afterward, he was transferred to a hospital, where, according to the family, he arrived with no signs of life.

The allegation: His mother accuses the detention center of negligence, claiming staff failed to properly monitor the medical treatment her son required.

She also said that neither she nor López Cornejo’s attorney has received official information about what happened while he was in ICE custody.

Advocacy Groups Warn of a Broader Immigration Enforcement Strategy

The two cases illustrate different stages of the same process: an arrest during an ordinary activity can lead to prolonged immigration detention while a person’s case is resolved.

According to EFE, more than 20 people have died in ICE custody so far this year. In addition, last month the agency changed its internal policy to stop publicly reporting deaths involving individuals who had recently been released from ICE custody.

What’s changing: Organizations such as CHIRLA say the increase in ICE airport arrests demonstrates that immigration enforcement now extends to places where many immigrants previously did not expect to face detention.

For now, advocacy groups recommend that anyone with a pending immigration case consult an attorney before traveling within the United States and understand how domestic travel could affect their legal status, according to EFE and Telemundo.