Federal immigration authorities don come up with new tactic to catch people wey overstay dia visa: dem dey arrest dem for airports. According to memo wey ABC News get, dem don arrest at least 27 people for airports across nine states, from California to Virginia.
Immigration lawyers dey warn dia clients say domestic travel don become risky. One immigration attorney wey talk with ABC News say some of those wey dem arrest no get criminal record, and dem get valid work authorization or parole documents.
Rosanna Berardi, wey be immigration lawyer for Buffalo, tell ABC News say ICE don always get power to arrest people wey get final order of removal or expired status. But wetin new na di method and venue. She say ICE dey work with TSA and target people for check-in counters and gates. No need for warrant or home visit again. Just name match for checkpoint, and dem carry person go.
Berardi say ordinary air travel don turn into legal status check for millions of visa holders and green card applicants. She add say some people dey legal gray area because dia application still dey pending, and ICE dey use that as chance to arrest dem.
On Tuesday, American Oversight, wey be nonpartisan watchdog, release di memorandum of agreement between TSA and ICE wey allow TSA to share passenger information with immigration authorities. Di 16-page agreement say am for enhance national security, transportation security, law enforcement, and immigration management.
In March, during record DHS shutdown because Congress no gree approve budget, Trump administration send ICE agents to more than dozen airports to fill TSA staffing gaps.
