TSA Provides Passenger Names to ICE

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has been providing airline passenger lists to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) since March, the New York Times (Lean Left bias) reported.

The Details: Department of Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said, "The message to those in the country illegally is clear: The only reason you should be flying is to self-deport home." Any Lucía López Belloza, a college student who was arrested at Boston Logan Airport on November 20, was detained due to information provided to ICE by TSA, according to New York Times.

For Context: Though TSA does compare information against national security databases, such as the Terrorist Screening Dataset, it has previously not interfered with domestic immigration or criminal matters. New York Times alleges that this program was "previously undisclosed," and media outlets across the political spectrum highlighted public debate about the program due to the fact that the public was not told about it.

How the Media Covered It: Newsmax (Right) included DHS Secretary Kristi Noem's support of President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown but also highlighted criticism about the "long-term implications for travel privacy, government surveillance, and civil liberties." NewsNation (Center) noted that this news comes after the recent announcement that some foreign tourists will have to provide five years worth of their social media data to travel in the US. New York Times was critical of the program, highlighting a variety of fears relating to privacy and civil liberties as well as fears of longer wait times and inefficiency at TSA checkpoints in airports. 

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