Has anyone recently flown domestically with an uncertain immigration status or seen ICE at a U.S. airport??
Hi everyone!
I’m hoping to hear some recent firsthand experiences regarding ICE presence at U.S. airports and domestic travel.
I personally have no criminal record and no removal/deportation order, but my immigration status is not currently secure due to a visa overstay.
I already understand that traveling while out of status carries a risk, especially with the recent reports of ICE arrests at airports. I’m not asking anyone to tell me that traveling is completely safe.
Unfortunately, driving is not an option for a trip I may need to make, so I’m trying to understand what the situation at airports is actually like right now compared to what we are seeing in the news.
Has anyone here, or someone you personally know, recently flown domestically while having an uncertain immigration status, expired visa, visa overstay, pending immigration matter, or similar situation?
I would also really appreciate hearing from anyone who has recently traveled through a U.S. airport and personally saw ICE or witnessed someone being questioned or detained, regardless of your own immigration status.
I’m especially interested in experiences from late July and August 2026, since airport enforcement seems to have changed recently.
If you’re comfortable sharing, it would be really helpful to know the airport, approximately when you traveled, whether you saw ICE/CBP, and whether anything unusual happened at TSA, the gate, or after arrival.
I know Reddit experiences can’t predict what will happen to me. I’m simply trying to get a better picture of how serious the situation actually feels at U.S. airports right now, beyond the individual cases being reported in the news.
Thank you very much to anyone willing to share their recent experience.