U.S. Immigration Enforcement Agency Arrests Over 800 People Using Airport Security Data, Sparking Law Enforcement Controversy

According to sources provided by airport security agencies on April 7th local time, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has arrested over 800 people from the time of Trump’s administration through February 2026, a figure significantly higher than previously publicly available data. Data shows that the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) provided ICE with information on over 31k travelers through its “Secure Flight Program” for potential immigration enforcement. The program was originally designed for counter-terrorism screening, not immigration enforcement. It is reported that ICE and TSA both belong to the Department of Homeland Security; in the past, they mainly shared information in the field of national security, but since 2025, with Trump pushing large-scale deportation policies, their cooperation has gradually expanded to routine immigration enforcement. Recently, multiple sudden arrest incidents at airports have sparked controversy, including detaining travelers and even family members before flights. Democratic lawmakers criticized such practices as potentially creating “panic and chaos” at airports and have called for the withdrawal of related deployments. (CCTV News)