Federal airport security officials shared records on more than 31,000 travelers with Immigration and Customs Enforcement from the start of the Trump administration through February 2026, internal ICE data reviewed by Reuters show. More than 800 people were arrested as a result.
The leads came from the Transportation Security Administration’s Secure Flight Program, a counter-terrorism system created in 2007 to screen passengers against U.S. government watchlists. The program was not originally designed for routine immigration enforcement.
Reuters could not determine how many of the arrests occurred inside airports. TSA tips primarily flag when a person intends to travel, making them useful for tracking and apprehension before or after a flight rather than at the gate.
Both ICE and TSA fall under the Department of Homeland Security. The agencies have historically shared information tied to national security threats. Under Trump’s second term, that cooperation expanded to include routine immigration arrests as part of the administration’s mass deportation push.
DHS did not respond to detailed questions about the TSA-to-ICE referral program. In a statement, the department said TSA “is pursuing solutions that improve resiliency, security, and efficiency across our entire system.”
Figures for TSA referrals to ICE prior to Trump’s current term were not available.
The data comes as airports have been flashpoints in a broader fight over immigration enforcement. In mid-February, Senate Democrats blocked a DHS funding bill, refusing to back additional resources for the deportation effort without changes to federal tactics. The standoff left TSA security officers without paychecks for at least two pay periods.
After some unpaid TSA officers began calling in sick, the administration deployed ICE agents to more than a dozen airports in March to help maintain security operations.
Anti-ICE demonstrators have staged protests at multiple major airports in recent weeks, including JFK in New York, O’Hare in Chicago, and LaGuardia. A federal judge issued a temporary restraining order limiting ICE enforcement actions at several airports in late March, though enforcement has continued in other locations.
The 31,000 traveler records and 800-plus arrests represent the first detailed figures to emerge publicly on the scale of TSA cooperation with immigration enforcement under the current administration.
