New York, NY—Today, reports revealed that the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is sharing air passenger information with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to help the agency abduct travelers. The Trump administration is using this expanded surveillance to meet its deportation quota.
Murad Awawdeh, President and CEO, New York Immigration Coalition:
“The Trump administration is turning airports into hunting grounds for ICE – using passengers’ personal travel information to target and detain immigrant New Yorkers. This practice does nothing but terrorize communities and punish people for simply living their lives. No one should have to worry that an airline trip to visit family or take a vacation could lead to being handcuffed and deported. By funneling the names of all passengers to ICE, the administration is expanding its surveillance operation, turning regular travel into an instrument of intimidation. This sends a message to immigrants that they are constantly being monitored and that their rights can be stripped away at any moment. And every American should be equally worried that the erosion of immigrants’ rights is the canary in the coalmine signalling the erosion of all of our rights.”