No ICE at RIC, but experts weigh in on airport deployment as concerns grow

HENRICO COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) — Federal immigration agents have been deployed to airports across the country since Monday, a move aimed at helping Transportation Security Administration (TSA) agents manage long security lines caused by a partial government shutdown.

As of Thursday, March 26, Richmond International Airport (RIC) in Henrico County has not seen any U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents on site. However, experts say concern is growing, particularly as heavy spring break travel gets underway.

Travelers 8News spoke to say they would feel uneasy if immigration agents came to RIC.

Legal experts say their clients are sharing similar concerns.

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"The community is really, really terrified," said Kaylin Cecchini, criminal defense attorney and vice president of the Richmond Community Legal Fund.

Cecchini explained that international airports, including Richmond's, can be key locations for ICE deployment because they are subject to the same legal authority as the border.

"They [ICE agents] can't face any legal criticisms of profiling or stopping somebody for the wrong reasons, because you don't need to have a reason at an international airport -- so you can stop anyone for any reason and engage in pretty intrusive searches," she said.

For travelers wondering how to prepare, Miriam Fisher, an immigration lawyer at Las Abogadas RVA, said that domestic travelers using a passport should generally be fine -- but those with a green card or pending immigration status might not want to travel right now.

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"The days of just hopping on an airplane with your driver's license are gone, for now," she said.

Whether or not ICE agents are ultimately deployed to RIC, Fisher said travelers should still be prepared.

"Under this administration, TSA is sharing information with ICE -- and so whether or not ICE is in the airport, they're still getting information from TSA," Fisher said. "So anybody who's traveling, or anybody who has an uncertain immigration status, should not travel now."

For more on immigration enforcement in Central Virginia, click here.