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Friday, April 24, 2026

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Nevada Immigrant Coalition warns of ongoing risks of air travel as ICE agents remain at airports nationwide

Las Vegas, NV –  Since March 23rd, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has been deployed to over a dozen airports across the country and ICE agents remain present at some airports today. The Nevada Immigrant Coalition urges Nevadans, regardless of immigration status, to plan ahead and know their rights, and to understand the risks posed by ICE’s presence at airports and ongoing reports of detentions occurring in airport settings.

“The U.S. has always sought to control and restrict the movement of people of color. Before and after independence it used slavery. During and after the Civil War it used systems like slave patrols and Black Codes. It continued through Jim Crow, sundown towns, and American Indian boarding schools. These anti-constitutional policies were not isolated or accidental,” said Noé Orosco, Coalition Coordinator of the Nevada Immigrant Coalition. “ICE agents invading communities like Minneapolis and deployed to airports across the country raise serious concerns about the continuation of these policies. Every person has dignity regardless of citizenship, documentation, or legal status, and we reject any authoritarian policy that denies them. The Trump administration’s deployment of ICE to airports is an effort to terrorize and divide our communities – agents who lack the training that airport security demands. The NIC commends Nevada’s federal delegation (except Mark Amodei) for holding the line for our communities.”

In addition to the deployment of ICE, reports and incidents show that the Transportation Safety Administration is actively sharing data with the Department of Homeland Security. As a result, many immigrants and families of immigrants must understand the new risks of air travel and should re-assess family travel plans.

Nevadans should ensure they are carrying adequate documentation and physical Know-Your-Rights red cards (order or print) as they travel within and outside of Nevada and also take the opportunity to discuss Family Preparedness Plans with extended family members. Make a plan and ensure your loved ones are prepared.”

NOTE: The below provides general information, not legal advice, to help Nevadans make informed decisions when traveling. For legal advice specific to your situation, consult a trusted immigration attorney or accredited legal service provider.

Travelling by airplane –

As reported by the New York Times, TSA is sharing passenger information with ICE which makes air travel risky for undocumented immigrants and possibly also for those with vulnerable statuses such as Deferred Action (including DACA), TPS, and parole. 

There is a risk of arrest and deportation for migrants with removal orders, no matter how old, or with criminal records, no matter how minor. It is important to take note that the Trump Administration is increasingly arresting and detaining immigrants who do not have any criminal records. People who in the past may have been able to travel by air with little risk may be at high risk today.

Follow these steps to help assess and potentially prepare for travel:

*Assess your risk: Determine whether ICE could have a legal basis to detain you. The best way to do this is to consult with an immigration attorney.

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You can call the Executive Office of Immigration Review automated hotline (1-800-898-7180) or visit the EOIR website to learn if you have a removal order. To find this information, you will need to know your A-number, which is a nine-digit number assigned to you by immigration officials.

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*Make sure to bring legal identity documents to the airport. It can also be helpful to bring important immigration documents that show you are legally allowed to be present in — and enter into — the United States. See a full list of documents you should and shouldn’t consider carrying with you.

*Send your itinerary and your immigration attorney’s contact information to a family member or friend.

*Print out your itinerary, your immigration attorney’s contact information, and your emergency contact information and bring it with you.

*You are not required to discuss your immigration status with the TSA.

*If questioned by immigration officers, you have the right to remain silent and to ask for a lawyer.

Additional information here and here.

Out-of-Nevada travel:

*Many of the same advisory guidelines apply to domestic travel to other states, but be aware that other states and municipalities have varying degrees of collaboration with ICE.

*Be thoughtful about traveling out of Nevada to states where ICE is intentionally targeting the immigrant population with raids and mass deportation efforts. 

Out-of-country travel:

International travel can carry serious immigration risks, even for people with lawful status. If you are unsure about your status or have a pending case, speak to an immigration attorney before leaving the country.

*Traveling outside the United States may affect pending applications, parole, TPS, DACA, asylum claims, or other forms of relief.

*Re-entry is never guaranteed.

TRAVEL TIPS – CONSIDER CARRYING THE FOLLOWING PHYSICAL DOCUMENTS:

• Paper copy of an official government document stating your legal status.
  • This may include a notice from USCIS or another government agency.
  • Ensure the document is clear and legible.
• Your physical Green Card or a U.S. Passport Card
  • For permanent residents, a LPR card (“Green Card”) is key proof of status.
  • A U.S. passport is the strongest form of identification if you have one. A photocopy may be sufficient.
• Driver’s license with Real ID, if available
  • A Real ID-compliant license is accepted for federal identification purposes.
  • If you have one, carry it with you.
• Because of increasing risks of racial profiling by ICE and Border Patrol agents:
  • US citizens who do not have a passport may wish to consider applying for one so that they have proof of US citizenship.

TRAVEL TIPS – AVOID CARRYING THE BELOW:

*A foreign passport, Consular ID, etc, if you don’t have legal permanent resident status or a currently valid visa. Your foreign passport may indicate your nationality and immigration status, which could be used against you in certain situations. NOTE: People on currently valid tourist, student, or temporary employment visas can carry a foreign passport.

*Original foreign birth certificate or immigration applications: These documents are valuable but should be stored safely rather than carried daily.

*Original Social Security Card.

*Expired or invalid visas/documents: Carrying expired documents may create confusion and could lead to unnecessary complications in an interaction with immigration authorities.

*Any document with sensitive personal information: Documents containing sensitive personal data, such as tax returns or bank statements, should be securely stored and not carried unless absolutely necessary.

*NOTE: Do not lie to ICE, Border Patrol, TSA, or other federal agents or present false documents: Giving false information or forged documents to immigration officers can lead to criminal charges, deportation, and future immigration bans.

KNOW YOUR RIGHTS:

If ICE stops you . . .

*You can ask the officers if you are being detained, if you are not, then you are free to leave.

*You have the right to remain silent. You do not have to answer any questions regarding your immigration status, where you were born, or how you entered the United States.

*Do not physically resist a government official and do not run away.

*If you are 18 or over and a non-citizen, an immigration officer may request to see your immigration documents.  If you have your documents, the law requires you to share them if you have them.

*If you do not have your immigration documents, you still have the right to remain silent and ask for an attorney.

*Do not provide false documents to officials.

If ICE comes to your home . . .

*In most circumstances, you are not required to open the door for ICE if they don’t have a judicial warrant. A Judicial warrant is a document that is signed by a judge.

*You have the right to remain silent and not answer any questions.

If ICE takes you into custody . . .

*You have the right to remain silent. Any statements regarding place of birth, nationality, immigration status or immigration history may be used against you to deport you. 

*You have the right to ask to speak with an attorney.

*You have the right to not sign any document that you do not understand. Even if the ICE officers are persistent and want to pressure you, do not sign.

*In certain cases, you can request to see the immigration judge. Depending on your circumstances, you may be able to ask for bail to be released from custody.

*You have the right to request to contact your country’s consulate for help.

*If you have minor children, let the officers know that you are the parent or primary caregiver. ICE may “exercise discretion” and let you go.

To find loved ones who may have been detained: Search the ICE Detainee Locator.

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ABOUT THE NEVADA IMMIGRANT COALITION: 

The Nevada Immigrant Coalition (NIC), founded in 2006, ensures immigrant, refugee, and new American voices are heard at a local, state, and federal level to advocate for humane and fair immigration policies. The Nevada Immigrant Coalition focuses on strengthening a network that provides services, resources, and deportation defense to immigrants and refugees across the state while strategically organizing around issues that are important to all Nevadans. We believe in working towards a Nevada that welcomes, respects, and protects everyone regardless of their immigration status.

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