Newlywed wey just finish celebrate marriage with her American husband, one professional athlete wey get visa for sportsmen, one student wey wan start master’s programme, and three friends wey plan small trip to Southern California—all of dem don land for detention center. How? Na so dem dey fly to or from San Francisco International Airport and immigration agents just catch dem. Dis one na new front for Trump administration mass deportation campaign.
According to immigration lawyers, relatives and witnesses, at least 11 Bay Area residents don enter dis kind wahala for last three weeks. Bay Area politicians, immigration attorneys and civil rights activists dey warn: if you get unresolved immigration issues, better no travel by airport.
Ghassan Shamieh, San Francisco immigration lawyer wey represent the newlywed and the athlete, talk say: ‘Ask any immigration attorney wey don practice for five years or 40 years, di kind actions wey we dey see for airports across di country essentially unheard of.’ Di Department of Homeland Security no gree give number of airport arrests dem don do for last two weeks. One agency spokesperson talk say Trump administration reverse ‘horrendous Biden-era policy’ and now dey ensure ‘aliens in our country illegally can no longer fly unless it is out of our country to self-deport.’
But even for first Trump administration, ICE agents no dey target airport travelers wey get ongoing immigration cases. Shamieh believe two reasons why ICE dey step up airport arrest. First, na ‘low-hanging fruit’—when person book flight, dem share sensitive personal info wey TSA fit share with ICE. Second, because of backlash ICE don face for large-scale operations for cities like Minnesota, making arrest for airport behind security line give dem less public exposure.
Shamieh say: ‘Di manner wey ICE detain them na what we find problematic. Dem do dis without pre-deprivation hearing.’ Five of im clients don catch for airports for Los Angeles, San Francisco and Phoenix for last two weeks. Four get pending asylum applications (which give temporary legal authorization to remain and protect from deportation until decision), and one get pending visa application. None get criminal record.
State Sen. Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco, release statement: ‘Because of dis expansion, e no safe for people with uncertain immigration status to fly now, including anyone dey process of changing status. People with uncertain status maybe need consult immigration attorney before deciding to fly.’
New York Times report say immigration agents for plain clothes don dey pick up people with expired visas for 15 airports, including San Francisco. At least 27 arrests across nine states, including California, target people with expired visas, ABC News report. Before dis recent detentions, ICE agents for airport mainly dey target people with judge-issued removal orders or administrative warrants.
On July 20, agents catch one Oakland woman from Ecuador for Denver when she try board flight. Another Oakland woman dey wait for connecting flight for Phoenix when ICE catch am. Richmond City Council member film one photographer and cafe worker, woman from Ukraine, wey ICE detain for San Francisco Airport as she dey return from Portland trip. Rep. Kevin Mullin, D-San Mateo, wey district include SFO, tok say e ‘concerned about reports of ICE operations for Bay Area airports. Airports should not become ICE enforcement zone to round people up.’
San Francisco immigration attorney Kyra Lilien say dem don advise clients to avoid air travel if dem get ongoing asylum case, pending green card application, or any non-permanent status wey dey transition or pending approval. Lilien, one former immigration judge wey lose her job under Trump, say ICE agents recent actions dey worrisome for anyone with nonpermanent status, including those with valid work visas. She dey represent di three friends wey fly from SFO go vacation, only to meet ICE agents immediately after landing for Los Angeles. Di friends all come for Bay Area on student visa and don apply for asylum. Another client, green card applicant from Southern California, plan visit Bay Area friend but dem detain am as e land for SFO.
Lilien tok: ‘Dese na people wey dey comply with process, wey don do everything wey dem ask dem. Dem no get criminal history and dem no be threat to anybody.’ ICE agents for March arrest one mother at SFO, but for dat case, di family get outstanding removal order from 2019. Di new detainees lack permanent legal status but most dey actively try to obtain am through U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Trump administration earlier dis week announce plans to bypass interview process to cut down backlogs and put pending cases before judges sooner. Lilien say ICE airport crackdown dovetail with dat policy shift because e be another way to ‘pluck’ people from citizenship application process and drop dem for courtrooms and detention centers.
American Civil Liberties Union dey warn on their website say di recent arrests suggest ICE dey use flight passenger information to locate non-citizens for arrest. Attorneys with San Francisco-based Asian Law Caucus also believe TSA dey share passenger information with ICE. TSA no respond when ask if dem dey share passenger information with immigration officials. Abraham Sanchez, husband of Oakland woman detained for Phoenix, write for GoFundMe say officer approach dem with photo of im wife Mabel for phone, ask am confirm name, then take her. She spend first night detained near airport, then next day dem take am go Eloy Detention Center. Im wife get pending asylum claim and work permit. Chantal Rojas, Oakland woman detained for Denver, enter country legally for 2023 on J-1 exchange visa as au pair, her attorney Lauren Lichter talk. One woman detained at SFO last week, 38-year-old Iryna Gorb, don live for city over decade. Wiener say e dey troubled say ICE wan deport her back to war-torn Ukraine. DHS call Gorb ‘illegal alien’ with expired visa. Video of her detention, film by Richmond City Council Member Doria Robinson, spread online last week. For recording, Gorb dey scream for help. Dem hold her for ICE detention center for California City. One of Lilien Bay Area clients now for detention center for Texas. Immigration attorneys don dey challenge many of di arrests, seeking to get clients release. Judge order release of Shamieh professional athlete client on Wednesday. Another judge rule say one of Shamieh clients fit release on $35,000 bond, amount wey Shamieh call ‘exorbitant’ and almost unheard of. DHS get 30 days to appeal.
