ICE Agents Ask Airport Gate Workers to Help Identify and Detain Passengers

Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents have started asking airline gate agents and other airport employees to help them identify and detain passengers, according to reports from workers at multiple US airports.

The requests, described by employees speaking to Time magazine and People, mark a shift in how federal immigration officers operate inside airport terminals. Workers say agents have approached them at gates, asked for passenger manifests, and requested help pulling specific travelers aside before boarding.

What airline workers are being asked to do

Gate agents told reporters that ICE officers have shown up at boarding areas and asked for information about passengers on upcoming flights. In some cases, agents requested that employees delay boarding, call specific travelers to the podium, or confirm identities using airline systems.

One gate agent quoted by People said, "I don't want to be doing this." The worker described feeling caught between following instructions from federal officers and concerns about the role airline employees are being pulled into.

Airline employees are not trained in immigration enforcement, and their standard duties involve checking travel documents for boarding purposes, not verifying immigration status. Several workers said they felt uncertain about their legal obligations when approached by ICE.

Pushback from employees and unions

Some airline workers have refused to cooperate, according to the Time report. Union representatives for airport staff have raised concerns about the requests, arguing that gate agents should not be acting as extensions of federal law enforcement.

Labor groups representing airline workers have advised members that they are not required to share passenger information with ICE unless agents present a judicial warrant. Administrative warrants issued by ICE, which are different from warrants signed by a judge, do not carry the same legal weight and do not compel private employees to act.

Workers who spoke to reporters said they worry about passenger safety, the potential for mistakes, and the strain the requests place on employees trying to do their jobs during busy travel periods.

Broader enforcement push

The airport requests come as ICE has expanded operations across the country. According to reporting from AOL, ICE deported more than 100 people in a recent enforcement action, part of a broader push by the Trump administration to increase removals.

Federal officials have defended the expanded tactics, saying agents are targeting people with final removal orders or criminal records. Critics, including immigration attorneys and civil liberties groups, say the operations have swept up people without criminal histories and pushed enforcement into spaces where travelers do not expect to encounter federal agents.

Airports occupy a legal gray area. Areas past security checkpoints are considered federal spaces where agents have broader authority, but gate areas and terminals still involve private airline operations and employees who are not part of law enforcement.

How airlines are responding

Major carriers have not publicly outlined uniform policies on how their employees should respond to ICE requests at gates. Some airlines have told staff internally to route federal law enforcement requests to corporate security or legal teams rather than handling them at the gate level.

Aviation industry observers say the situation puts airlines in a difficult spot. Carriers rely on federal agencies for many aspects of their operations, from air traffic control to security screening, and open conflict with ICE could complicate those relationships. At the same time, involving customer-facing employees in immigration arrests carries reputational and legal risks.

What passengers should know

Immigration attorneys interviewed for the Time and People reports offered guidance for travelers who may be approached by ICE at an airport. They said passengers have the right to remain silent, the right to ask whether they are free to leave, and the right to request an attorney.

Attorneys also noted that US citizens are not required to carry proof of citizenship for domestic travel, though showing identification is part of standard airline boarding procedures.

For non-citizens, legal experts recommend carrying documentation of lawful status when traveling and knowing the difference between a judicial warrant and an administrative warrant. Only a judicial warrant, signed by a judge, allows agents to compel entry into private spaces or force compliance from third parties.

Ongoing scrutiny

Members of Congress from both parties have asked for more information about ICE operations at airports. Some lawmakers have requested briefings on the scope of the enforcement activity and the legal basis for asking airline employees to participate.

Civil rights groups have said they are monitoring the situation and may pursue legal action if they find evidence of unlawful searches or coercion of private employees. For now, gate agents across the country continue to navigate the requests case by case, often without clear direction from their employers.