A newly reported data-sharing arrangement shows federal transportation officials regularly provide traveler information to immigration enforcement authorities.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
The Transportation Security Administration has been routinely sharing complete airline passenger lists with Immigration and Customs Enforcement as part of a federal effort to identify individuals subject to deportation orders before they board flights, according to a New York Times report.
The practice began in March and involves multiple weekly transfers of traveler data from TSA to ICE, the report said. Under the arrangement, TSA provides ICE with the full names of passengers traveling into, out of, or within the United States. ICE then compares those lists against its internal databases of noncitizens who have outstanding deportation orders.
When a passenger’s name matches ICE records, agents may be dispatched to the airport to detain the individual, potentially preventing travel and initiating removal proceedings. Documents reviewed by the Times indicate the program has led directly to arrests and deportations.
One case cited in the reporting involved 19-year-old college student Any Lucía López Belloza, who was detained at Boston’s Logan International Airport on Nov. 20 after her name was flagged while she attempted to board a flight. She was deported to Honduras two days later.
A former ICE official quoted in the report said that in the official’s region, approximately 75 percent of cases flagged through the TSA passenger list program resulted in arrests, suggesting the data-sharing effort has become a significant enforcement mechanism.
The disclosure comes amid a broader immigration enforcement push by the Department of Homeland Security. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has recently described what she called “historic progress” on deportations, stating that more than 600,000 deportations and nearly 2 million voluntary departures have taken place since early 2025.
The revelations have prompted debate over civil liberties and privacy protections. Critics argue that transferring passenger lists to immigration enforcement without individualized warrants or judicial oversight raises constitutional concerns, including issues related to unreasonable searches and seizures. They have also warned about the risk of mistaken identity and the possibility that individuals with limited or unclear immigration issues could be detained.
Supporters of the program have defended the data-sharing as a lawful and efficient means of enforcing existing immigration laws, arguing it allows authorities to locate individuals with final orders of removal who might otherwise evade detection.
The Times reported that questions surrounding travel privacy, surveillance, and the scope of interagency data sharing are expected to remain points of contention as the program continues.
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