Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations at airports across the country have sparked a new front of tension with several airlines, after federal agents used flight manifests to locate and detain immigrants with expired visas before boarding their flights.
According to a report published by The Wall Street Journal, some companies, including Southwest Airlines, have begun to question the way in which these operations are carried out, considering that they may affect the safety of passengers and crews, in addition to altering the protocols established within the aircraft.
Southwest requires clear protocols
According to the aforementioned media, one of the most recent episodes occurred on July 25 in Dallas, when airline personnel prevented an ICE agent from boarding a plane and also refused to hand over passenger information without the corresponding legal documentation.
The media points out, based on a source familiar with the matter, that in recent weeks at least half a dozen similar incidents related to the airline have been recorded.
In a statement cited by the newspaper, Southwest Airlines assured that it cooperates with the authorities, but only when legal procedures are followed.
“We have policies in place to ensure that authorities present appropriate legal documentation before sharing our customers' information,” the company said.
Operations at airports grow
The report also indicates that ICE intensified arrests at air terminals in cities such as San Francisco, Miami and Kansas City, where between one and three dozen arrests were recorded on some days.
The Airlines for America association, which represents several airline companies, assured that it is holding talks with ICE and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to define protocols that allow operations to be carried out without compromising the safety of travelers.
“Airlines have maintained constructive conversations with ICE and TSA to ensure that any law enforcement intervention prioritizes the safety of everyone involved,” a spokesperson for the organization said.
For her part, Lauren Bis, spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), defended the strategy and stated that the agency is only “enforcing established laws and policies” of the United States.
