When Does ICE Need Make Nice on Plane?

Letter to Philippians: Recall when federal Marshalls regularly flew the friendly skies? Now we’re told the airlines are “Pushing Back Against ICE Enforcement at Airports” & especially on planes. Does it matter if the target is a terrorist?

As some airport officials told the WSJ, they are increasingly fearful of violence being triggered by ICE efforts to detain suspected illegals on their turf. One beef is that “Federal agents are using flight manifests to arrest travelers with lapsed visas, drawing objections over safety & protocol.” Naturally, the concerns really take off when ICE agents board a plane to make an arrest. Some airport staffs have been instructed to NOT even share passenger info as a matter of policy, especially if ICE can show only an administrative rather than court ordered warrant to enforce. Many airports are said to be in talks with ICE to proactively get on the same page with them.

The biggest issue for all to sort out? Privacy rights are always a big & sometimes overriding concern. But passenger privacy aside, the airports aren’t challenging ICE’s authority under federal law to make arrests at the check in counter. On the other hand, once passengers are on board, the airlines’ responsibility for their safety is heightened. And when airborne, the pilot has even broader legal authority over any attempted arrest. True, even the pilot’s in air power can be trumped in some cases, e.g., if the feds are after convicted terrorists, human traffickers or drug cartel soldiers trying to sneak in or out of the US. Federal law enforcement personnel are presumably trained to be keenly aware of how dangerous any confrontation on board can be. But why even risk any possibility of an escalating confrontation with scores of passengers sandwiched in those ridiculously tight seating arrangements? Common sense usually dictates such arrests be attempted upon landing. Meanwhile, the airports are almost begging DHS to give them, the public & their own agents uniform procedures to follow. Is it asking too much? Or are more lawsuits asking the courts to intervene on this dispute next to board?

Davd Soul