A new report reveals that immigration agents are now detaining foreign nationals with expired visas directly at airport check-in counters and arrival gates, a shift from prior practice. Some of these individuals include spouses of U.S. citizens who were previously in a legal gray area while awaiting extensions or green card decisions.
Enforcement actions have reportedly taken place at more than 15 airports in recent weeks, with agents in plain clothes carrying out the arrests. Immigration attorneys note this marks a significant expansion of who can now be targeted for removal, since visa overstays alone had rarely triggered detention in the past absent a criminal record.