TSA falls under DHS, and therefore, it shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone that they will share the private information of their passengers with ICE and aid their immigration operations. However, the agency is facing severe backlash and questions from civil rights advocates and lawmakers regarding this breach of trust and information.
Homeland security representatives were present during a House hearing, when a senior TSA official defended the agency’s practices. However, they denied the allegations that the agency is sharing passenger identifiable data with ICE.
Today, Ha McNeill, TSA’s Acting Administrator, spoke before the House Homeland Security Committee (@HomelandGOP).
McNeill highlighted some of TSA’s priorities: public-private partnerships, investing in cutting-edge screening tech, and delivering for American taxpayers.
(1/2) pic.twitter.com/7ZW7SNEmNz
— TSA (@TSA) January 21, 2026
TSA official Ha Hguyen McNeill is the acting administrator and has clarified that the agency “simply does not send information to ICE” while maintaining systems that allow information to be accessed for cross-referencing by DHS components.
“We’re supporting the mission of our colleagues at the Department of Homeland Security, and that includes enforcement of immigration laws,” McNeill said.
ICE has deported thousands of people since March 2025, and many of them are believed to be immigrants with proper documentation. Following these allegations, the roles of TSA and its policy of sharing passenger information with ICE have come under scrutiny.
The agency has been accused of handing flight details, names, birth dates and other information of its passengers to ICE, which the immigration agency has then used for deportation purposes.
This came to light when several immigrants were arrested by ICE just before boarding their flight or just as they deboarded.
This isn’t legal analysis—it’s a warning. At airports now, TSA shares your name, flight, and photo with ICE before you reach the gate. Families are being torn apart in security lines. This is what a police state looks like. #repost @real.talk.us :IG pic.twitter.com/Jz47UwRd7f
— Lee Merritt (@LeeMerrittesq) December 16, 2025
One of the few high-profile cases that is being cited regularly involves a 19-year-old college student. She was detained at Boston Logan International Airport in the latter half of 2025 after her name reportedly surfaced in a data-sharing system.
She was deported two days later.
Another example was when a Delta pilot was detained just before takeoff. According to several videos shared by the stunned passengers online, ICE barged into the airplane and entered the cockpit from where they handcuffed the pilot and took him away.
TSA, initially, was meant for passenger and aviation security. Their role increased after the 9/11 attacks, during which several new policies and rules came into place. However, just as the Trump administration came into power and ICE increased its activities against immigrants under Stephen Miller, critics argue the agency’s role has increasingly overlapped with immigration enforcement.
Today, I’m announcing TSA is ending the Quiet Skies Program, which since its existence has failed to stop a SINGLE terrorist attack while costing US taxpayers roughly $200 million a year.
DHS and TSA have uncovered documents, correspondence, and timelines that clearly… pic.twitter.com/mcdNplUuVV
— Secretary Kristi Noem (@Sec_Noem) June 5, 2025
Even before dipping their hands into the immigration and deportation process, TSA collected passenger information, under the Secure Flight program, from airlines to screen travelers against terrorism watchlists.
However, using this information to assist ICE in locating immigrants has now raised questions of privacy and data breaches.
While the lawmakers on both sides have asked for stricter rules and guardrails, supporters of TSA-ICE cooperation claim that airports are the most logical place to locate individuals who are running from immigration authorities.
As the debate continues, it remains to be seen how far Congress will go to safeguard the privacy of the passengers and if the courts rule in their favor.
