CHIRLA calls for rare travel advisory this week amid a spike in ICE airport detentions

The country’s largest immigrant rights organization, The Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA), has issued a rare travel advisory this week after reports of increased detainments by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency across the country. 

According to Yunuen Trujillo, immigration attorney and Director of Workers' Rights Legal Services for CHIRLA, over the past several weeks, the organization has received reports from community members indicating an increase in immigration-related detentions at U.S. airports during domestic travel. 

“We have confirmed multiple reports of these detentions occurring at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and San Francisco International Airport (SFO) in California,” Trujillo said in a written statement. “Unlike previously reported immigration enforcement during domestic air travel, these incidents reflect an emerging pattern affecting individuals who historically may not have been considered at heightened risk while traveling within the United States.”

Trujillo also said that similar incidents have also been reported in Nevada, Colorado, Massachusetts, Florida, Illinois, Kansas, Michigan, New Jersey, Texas and Virginia.

Some of the trends reported to CHIRLA include: 

• Individuals who have overstayed a visa or otherwise failed to comply with the terms of their visa, even when they have no criminal history, no prior removal orders, and no pending immigration court proceedings;

• Detentions occurring during layovers on domestic flights;

• Individuals being detained even though they have pending applications for immigration relief, including green card application or asylum, and are in a period of authorized stay or possess valid employment authorization based on those applications.

To take precautionary measures, CHIRLA recommends that community members evaluate the risks of domestic air travel and consult with a qualified immigration attorney before traveling to assess their specific circumstances and level of risk. The organization also recommends individuals with pending green card applications or asylum applications consult with their attorney before making any domestic travel plans and, if possible, postpone nonessential domestic air travel until they have received legal advice.