Metro Atlanta congresswoman supporting bill banning TSA from sharing data with ICE
A metro Atlanta congresswoman is co-sponsoring a bill that would stop the Transportation Security Administration from sharing its data with Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Rep. Nikema Williams, who is up for reelection in November, announced that she is supporting the No TSA Data for ICE Act, which was introduced by Michigan Rep. Rashida Tlaib.
If passed, the bill would prevent the TSA from sharing data that includes passenger names and birth dates with ICE. Democratic lawmakers say the communication has led to a surge of arrests at airports across the country, with ICE agents targeting immigrants who are waiting for visa extensions or have employment authorization documentation.
In July, CBS News reported that TSA has been sharing more information about noncitizen travelers with ICE, giving them "tips" or "leads" that could end in arrest, detainment, and deportation. Sources say that the information sharing included details about immigrants who are just suspected of civil immigration violations, such as overstaying their visa.
The bill would also prevent the Department of Homeland Security from retaliating against critics of the Trump administration or ICE by revoking their status in programs like TSA PreCheck and Global Entry.
Twenty-four other members of Congress are co-sponsoring the bill, including Georgia Rep. Henry C. "Hank" Johnson.
"Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, the world's busiest and most efficient airport, is the gateway to the world. That's only possible when every traveler has confidence in our aviation system," Williams said in a statement. "The TSA should play no part in Trump's and ICE's terror campaign. It's exploitative, dangerous, and a violation of people's privacy."
