US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers have begun arresting Nigerians and other foreign nationals with expired visas at airports across the United States, marking what immigration lawyers describe as an unprecedented escalation of enforcement under the Trump administration. The detentions have occurred at check-in counters, boarding gates, and arrival terminals in at least 15 airports over recent weeks, according to a report by The New York Times published on July 29, 2026.
Among those detained are spouses of American citizens, skilled foreign workers awaiting visa extension decisions, former exchange programme participants, and migrants with active immigration applications on file. The crackdown represents a significant shift from previous policy, which focused primarily on individuals with outstanding deportation orders.
How the Airport Enforcement Expanded
Previously, a partnership between ICE and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) targeted only those who had already been ordered removed. Now, internal documents from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), reviewed by The New York Times, show the programme also covers individuals whose visas have lapsed, even if they have submitted applications to extend their stay legally. Each year, hundreds of thousands of foreign nationals remain in the country beyond their visa expiry dates, many while awaiting decisions on green cards, visa extensions, or other immigration benefits. Historically, such individuals were not enforcement priorities unless they had a criminal record.
A DHS spokesperson defended the approach, stating: 'This administration is working diligently to ensure that aliens in our country illegally can no longer fly unless it is out of our country to self-deport.' The department did not confirm that the airport programme had been formally expanded. The White House has reportedly increased pressure on ICE to raise arrest numbers, with Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin setting a daily target of approximately 2,000 immigration arrests nationwide.
Cases That Have Emerged
Immigration lawyers told The New York Times that the strategy has already affected clients from more than a dozen countries. Among the reported cases is Chantal Morales Rojas, a 27-year-old Ecuadorian former au pair who was detained while boarding a domestic flight after her visa expired, despite holding both a pending immigration application and active work authorisation. A Ugandan woman with sickle cell anaemia was also reportedly detained, even though she had a live asylum application before the authorities. These cases illustrate the broad reach of the new enforcement measures.
Immigration attorney Charles Kuck, who has practised law for 38 years, expressed shock at the development. 'In 38 years practising immigration law, I had never seen this. And I know it is happening to lots of people,' he said. Kuck's statement underscores the dramatic change in enforcement posture, which now targets individuals who previously had no reason to fear airport detention.
Broader Immigration Landscape
Separately, Legit.ng reported that Franklin Nwadialo, chairperson of Ogbaru Local Government Area in Anambra State, Nigeria, was sentenced to five years imprisonment in the United States for defrauding victims of more than $3.3 million in a romance scam. That case was investigated by the FBI and prosecuted by assistant US attorneys. While not directly related to the airport detentions, it highlights the wide-ranging enforcement actions against Nigerians in the US under the current administration. The airport arrests, however, represent a more systematic and sweeping approach, affecting individuals who have committed no crime other than overstaying their visas amidst pending applications.
