Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents are now patrolling US airports looking to arrest people who have overstayed their visas and are taking domestic flights around the country, ABC News reported on Tuesday.
Visa overstays have typically been a civil violation rather than a criminal offence, given these are foreigners who entered the US legally.
Many in the US also often find themselves in a risky position because their Green Card applications for US permanent residency do not get processed in time - before their visas expire.
At least 27 people have been arrested across nine states using this strategy so far, ABC News found. ICE is using traveller data from the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), which runs airport security and scans every person who is scheduled to fly, whether domestic or international.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which oversees ICE, said in a statement that any visa overstayers will only be permitted to use US airports to "self-deport".
