LOS ANGELES — Immigrants traveling within the United States are facing an increased risk of detention at airports, including individuals previously considered relatively safe to fly domestically, prompting the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights, or CHIRLA, to issue a rare travel advisory this week following reports of arrests by immigration agents at airports nationwide.
Yunuen Trujillo, immigration attorney and director of Workers’ Rights Legal Services at the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights, stated:
“Over the past several weeks, CHIRLA 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. Similar incidents have also been reported in Nevada, Colorado, Massachusetts, Florida, Illinois, Kansas, Michigan, New Jersey, Texas, and Virginia.”
Trujillo further added that these incidents, unlike previously reported immigration enforcement during domestic air travel, show a pattern of affecting individuals who may not have been considered at high risk for domestic flying in the past.
The reported detentions have included individuals who overstayed a visa or violated their visa terms — regardless of whether they have a criminal history, prior removal orders or pending immigration proceedings.
Detentions, the press release notes, have been occurring during layovers on domestic flights. People have also been detained even if they have pending applications for immigration relief, are in a period of authorized stay or have valid employment authorization.
Because of these reports, CHIRLA urges people to be careful when determining whether it is appropriate to travel domestically.
Trujillo stated that community members need to thoroughly evaluate whether it is necessary to travel at this time, and he encourages people to consult with a qualified immigration attorney before traveling to assess their specific cases and determine the potential risk.
Trujillo and his team especially recommended that individuals with pending green card applications or asylum applications check with an attorney to determine whether it is safe for them to travel domestically.
He suggested that these people postpone their nonessential domestic travel plans until they have consulted with an attorney and created a travel plan for their specific circumstances.
According to an article by NBC Los Angeles, there is no clear indication of when this travel advisory will end or when immigrants can resume domestic travel. Additionally, this travel advisory is different from past advisories because of the multitude of reasons for the arrests.
People who seem to be safe to travel are still being detained, the press release noted, reflecting uncertainty about the basis on which these arrests are being made.
In addition to precautions for domestic travel, the release explains that, to obtain referrals or seek trusted legal immigration consultation, the public is urged to contact the national Immigrant Assistance Hotline at (888) 624-4752.
CHIRLA was founded in 1986 to advance the human and civil rights of immigrants and refugees. CHIRLA became a place for organizations and people who support human rights to work together on policies that advance justice and full inclusion for all immigrants.
CHIRLA has since become one of the largest and most effective advocates for immigrant rights, organizing, educating and defending immigrants and refugees in the streets, in the courts and in the halls of power. Its main goal is to ensure the protection of people from all backgrounds and end exclusion within public systems.
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