The Perils of Flying With DACA Under Trump
Under Trump, Dreamers face airport interrogations and threats of deportation—even when their papers are valid.
WASHINGTON — The story begins the way so many American stories do: a young mother with a baby stroller waiting for the airport shuttle. She had boarded with a Real ID, cleared TSA, landed safely, and was thinking about luggage and car seats, not deportation. That’s when Immigration and Customs Enforcement stepped out of the shadows and called her by name.
“I had an ‘immediate removal letter’ from when I first arrived as a child,” she told Migrant Insider over the weekend. “I’ve had DACA since 2012, never losing status. But they said it didn’t matter. They even asked my husband if he would take custody of our baby if they detained me.”
Her crime was flying while DACA.
The agents already knew her husband’s name, her place of work, even details of her mother’s immigration file. They snapped pictures of her face, quizzed her about documents, and dismissed her Employment Authorization Document as “nothing.” Only after she managed to pull up her I-765 approval notice online did they back off. But even then, ICE warned: “What you have is not enough. They will end DACA, and when that happens, they will come at you full force.”
This was a domestic flight inside the United States. A woman with valid DACA papers. And ICE nearly took her anyway.
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DHS’ Mixed Messages
This encounter isn’t a fluke—it’s the logical outcome of the Trump administration’s public line. Earlier this summer, DHS told NPR that “illegal aliens who claim to be recipients of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) are not automatically protected from deportations” and that “DACA does not confer any form of legal status in this country.” DHS even encouraged DACA recipients to self-deport.
That statement sent shivers through half a million lives. Within weeks, more than three dozen Democratic and independent senators wrote to Secretary Kristi Noem demanding clarity. Their letter pointed out that DHS’ own guidance has long stated that DACA holders “are not considered to be unlawfully present” for the duration of their status. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) reminded the administration that Dreamers undergo strict background checks, keep jobs or stay in school, and pay taxes like everyone else.
But in airports and bus stations, agents are operating as if none of that matters.
The New Normal
The Supreme Court once stopped Trump from ending DACA outright, but in practice the program is being gutted from the inside. Agents on the ground are treating two-year renewable deferrals as if they’re already expired. The line between “prosecutorial discretion” and “immediate removal” is razor thin—and ICE holds the blade.
The traveler’s warning to fellow DACA recipients was simple: print every document—EADs, I-821Ds, approval notices—and carry them like a shield. “I can’t guarantee this won’t happen again,” the ICE agent admitted as he let her go. “When you are looked up, that letter will always come up first.”
That’s the peril of flying with DACA in Trump’s America: the ticket may say domestic, but for Dreamers, every flight is international. Every terminal is a checkpoint. Every agent a potential deportation officer.
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What To Do If You Travel While DACA
(Practical advice for Dreamers on the move)
Carry everything, in paper and digital: Keep your Employment Authorization Document (EAD), I-821D (DACA approval notice), I-765 (work permit approval), and renewal receipts printed and in your carry-on. Also store copies on your phone in a secure folder.
Expect “status doesn’t matter” pushback: Some ICE or CBP agents may insist DACA offers “no protection.” Stay calm. Point them to your current I-821D and I-765 approval notices—those are official proof of deferred action and work authorization.
Keep your lawyer on speed dial: Before you fly, write down your immigration attorney’s number. If you don’t have one, note down the ACLU immigrant rights hotline or the National Immigration Law Center’s referral line.
Travel with allies: If possible, don’t fly alone. Have a spouse, friend, or community member nearby who can bear witness and speak up if you’re pulled aside.
Document the encounter: As soon as you’re safe, write down names, badge numbers, and details. Share your account with a trusted lawyer, community group, or reporter. These stories help others prepare.
Know your rights: Even with DACA, you can be questioned. But you don’t have to surrender your phone without a warrant, and you have the right to remain silent until your lawyer is present.
MY TAKE: Domestic travel is not risk-free under Trump. DACA is still valid on paper, but in practice, enforcement agents have been given broad discretion—and they’re using it.
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