Rashida Tlaib files bill to bar ICE and Border Patrol from using TSA screening and related travel data for airport arrests

Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) introduced legislation on Aug. 5 aimed at limiting what data federal immigration enforcement can use at airports, proposing to bar U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and U.S. Border Patrol from obtaining TSA passenger screening data and related travel information for arrest activity at transportation hubs.

The bill targets what Tlaib described as an information pipeline connecting the Transportation Security Administration’s screening system to immigration enforcement operations. According to the reporting, she argues that TSA and related data sharing arrangements can be used to identify and target immigrants for arrest at airports.

Tlaib’s proposal would prohibit ICE and Border Patrol from accessing TSA passenger screening information and travel records. The reporting also says the bill would restrict access to data broker information, which the proposal would treat as part of the same data ecosystem used for locating individuals.

In public remarks cited by the report, Tlaib contended that TSA involvement amounts to helping immigration authorities target immigrants. She characterizes the policy as a transfer of sensitive passenger-related data into immigration enforcement workflows that, in her view, raises civil liberties concerns for people moving through the aviation system.

The practical effect of the proposal, as described in the report, would be to narrow the sources of information available to ICE and Border Patrol when making decisions in airport settings. If enacted, the restrictions would apply specifically to the types of TSA-related passenger and travel information referenced by the bill, as well as information originating from data brokers.

The measure’s movement through Congress and its eventual scope would depend on the legislative text, including definitions of what qualifies as “TSA passenger screening data,” what constitutes “travel records,” and how “data broker” material is categorized. The report did not provide bill text details, such as section-by-section language or a bill number, so the full compliance obligations for ICE, Border Patrol, TSA, and any entities handling passenger data would require confirmation from the introduced draft.

A central question for implementation would be how the restriction interacts with existing TSA privacy rules, information-sharing authorities, and any federal requirements tied to transportation security. The bill would also face scrutiny over the balance between immigration enforcement needs and limits on access to passenger-related data used in airport screening and travel processing.

No official legislative outcome was reported in connection with the Aug. 5 filing, and the measure’s prospects would turn on committee consideration, House floor scheduling, and any changes made during markup or amendments.