(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) The Trump administration confirmed Friday that the Transportation Security Administration is forwarding the names of all airline travelers to Immigration and Customs Enforcement as part of a broader effort to detain criminal illegal aliens.
DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin confirmed the collaboration in a statement to the leftist New York Times, which first reported the development.
“The message to those in the country illegally is clear: The only reason you should be flying is to self-deport home,” McLaughlin said.
As reported by the Times, TSA started providing ICE with passenger name lists in March, sharing the data several times a week.
Immigration agents then compare the lists against their databases in search of individuals with final deportation orders.
If a foreign national with a deportation order is flagged, ICE agents may be deployed to airports to detain the individual, the outlet reported.
TSA has long shared limited passenger information with federal law enforcement officials after airlines confirm reservations.
This is done primarily to identify potential terrorists or other individuals flagged as security threats, according to the Times.
In another remark to CNBC, a DHS spokesperson said the practice is “nothing new.”
“Under President Trump, TSA and DHS will no longer tolerate this,” the spokesperson said. “This administration is working diligently to ensure that aliens in our country illegally can no longer fly unless it is out of our country to self-deport.”
