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TSA and ICE Formal Data-Sharing Agreement Allows Passenger Info to Be Shared
A memorandum of agreement (MOA) between the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) was signed in May 2025. The MOA creates a formal framework for TSA to share passengers' personal information—collected under the Secure Flight Final Rule—with ICE, which will store the data in its own repository.
The partnership contradicts sworn congressional testimony by TSA officials, including acting Administrator Ha Nguyen McNeill, who previously said TSA does not send passenger data to ICE. The agreement was obtained by the watchdog group American Oversight through a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit and released publicly, after the New York Times first reported on it.
American Oversight’s executive director Chioma Chukwu warned that the arrangement expands immigration enforcement to domestic air travel, potentially exposing non‑citizens with expired visas or pending status to deportation actions and raising concerns about privacy and civil liberties. The agreement remains in effect until terminated and is scheduled for review every five years.
Entities
American Oversight · Chioma Chukwu · Ha Nguyen McNeill · Transportation Security Administration (TSA) · U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.
- [● 3 SOURCES] American Oversight obtained the MOA documents through a FOIA lawsuit and released them publicly. www.govexec.com · americanoversight.org · truthout.org
- [● 3 SOURCES] The MOA permits TSA to share passengers' personal information with ICE for immigration enforcement. www.govexec.com · americanoversight.org · truthout.org
- [○ 1 SOURCE] The data shared includes elements collected under the Secure Flight Final Rule. americanoversight.org
- [● 2 SOURCES] The New York Times was the first media outlet to report on the TSA‑ICE agreement. www.govexec.com · truthout.org
- [○ 1 SOURCE] The agreement will remain in effect until terminated and will be reviewed every five years. www.govexec.com
- [● 3 SOURCES] A memorandum of agreement between TSA and ICE was signed in May 2025. www.govexec.com · americanoversight.org · truthout.org
- [● 2 SOURCES] The agreement could be used to target non‑citizens with expired visas, pending status, or unauthorized presence. www.govexec.com · truthout.org
- [● 3 SOURCES] The agreement contradicts sworn congressional testimony by TSA officials that passenger data is not shared with ICE. www.govexec.com · americanoversight.org · truthout.org