The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has been sharing data on air travelers with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) multiple times a week, a practice initiated during the Trump administration as part of a broader mass deportation strategy. Reports indicate that individuals identified in TSA data who are later found in ICE databases face a heightened risk of arrest and deportation. A notable case involved Any Lucía López Belloza, a 19-year-old Honduran who was detained at Boston Logan Airport and subsequently deported to Honduras, a country she had not visited since childhood.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which oversees both ICE and TSA, confirmed the existence of this data-sharing program. A spokesperson stated that the previous administration's policies allowed undocumented individuals to travel without identification, a practice that has since been reversed. The current administration aims to restrict undocumented individuals from flying domestically unless returning to their home countries.

In a separate incident, Sami Hamdi, a U.K.-based political commentator, was detained by ICE for over two weeks at San Francisco Airport. Although it remains unclear if the TSA data-sharing program contributed to his detention, Hamdi alleges he was targeted due to his political views.

In addition to data-sharing, ICE has been employing facial recognition technology to verify individuals' immigration status in public spaces. A recent case involved Jesus Gutiérrez, a 23-year-old U.S. citizen who was approached by federal agents while walking home in Chicago. Unable to provide identification, Gutiérrez was detained, and agents used a facial recognition application called Mobile Fortify to confirm his citizenship. This application accesses a vast array of government databases, raising significant privacy and civil rights concerns.

Critics, including the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), have condemned the use of such technology, arguing that it can lead to wrongful identification and unjust detentions. Internal DHS documents acknowledge that the Mobile Fortify app may be used against U.S. citizens, despite its primary intention to identify undocumented immigrants. The ACLU has called for an end to the use of this technology in public settings, emphasizing the need for individuals to move freely without the threat of government surveillance.

Amid these developments, the DHS is reportedly revising its immigration enforcement tactics, shifting focus to prioritize individuals who have committed serious offenses rather than conducting widespread raids. This change reflects a decline in public support for the mass deportation policies associated with the previous administration. However, operations like "Catahoula Crunch" in New Orleans continue, with agents targeting thousands of individuals, raising ongoing concerns about the implications of aggressive immigration enforcement practices on civil liberties.