ICE is pressing ahead with immigration arrests at Philadelphia International Airport as local politicians and activist groups demand restrictions on federal agents. The confrontation comes as the Trump administration uses airports to locate travelers subject to immigration enforcement. Airport officials say federal authorities have access to the property and that local administrators cannot interfere with their operations.
The dispute reached Terminal E Departures on November 12th, when the ICE OUT of PHL Airport Coalition held a news conference. City Council President Kenyatta Johnson joined the opposition, accusing ICE of “occupying the people’s airport.” Organizers have warned that their public-awareness campaign could escalate into financial pressure against companies doing business at the facility.
The airport operations extend beyond Philadelphia. Federal authorities have been targeting travelers who overstayed their visas, according to an immigration memo obtained by ABC News for its July coverage. Arrests associated with the tactic had occurred in at least nine states, stretching from California to Virginia. Information exchanged between federal agencies has helped support the enforcement effort.
As The Philadelphia Inquirer reported, Homeland Security responded to the Philadelphia campaign with a blunt declaration: “ICE is NOT slowing down.” Six City Council members support the coalition, alongside labor organizations and state lawmakers. At Thursday’s gathering, Johnson also criticized the police presence as “overkill.”
ABC News reported that a watchdog group released an agreement between the Transportation Security Administration and ICE in July. The 16-page document described exchanging agreed-upon data to “enhance national security, transportation security, law enforcement, and immigration and border management.” ABC’s reporting identified at least 27 airport arrests in a separate document, which didn’t specify the period covered. That figure represented the cases in that document.
The Philadelphia coalition had already organized a November 9th virtual meeting before its airport demonstration. Its event announcement said more than 50 people had been detained at the airport since July and invited participants to discuss demands directed at city officials, airport leadership, and airlines. No ICE Philly sponsored the session, which advertised interpretation in seven languages, including Spanish, Russian, and Bahasa Indonesia.
Watch CBS Evening News’ July 30th report on immigration arrests at U.S. airports here:
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The Inquirer’s earlier reporting detailed the restrictions organizers want imposed. Their demands include requiring a judicial warrant for ICE to enter airport property, prohibiting airport employees from assisting agents, and preventing city-owned spaces from being used to stage arrests. They also want airlines to deny agents access to flight gates and stop sharing passenger information with the agency.
Organizers are additionally seeking regular airport reports identifying immigration enforcement activity, the number of people detained, and their intended airlines. Airport concession businesses face another demand: refrain from disciplining employees who miss work because they fear ICE activity. The coalition’s supporters include the Pennsylvania Immigration Coalition, Philadelphia Council AFL-CIO, UNITE HERE Local 274, and the office of Councilmember Kendra Brooks.
Philadelphia owns and operates the airport and recently passed legislation aimed at limiting ICE activities within the city. Airport officials nevertheless said federal access encompasses terminal areas before and after security, customs facilities, the airfield, and public parking areas. Sam Scavuzzo, chief of staff for the city law department, said “federal law enforcement access to particular areas of the airport is governed by federal law.”
Featured image credit: screengrab from the embedded video.