Thompson Inquires on Troubling Domestic Flight ID Check Incident at JFK
(WASHINGTON) – Today, Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS), Ranking Member of the Committee on Homeland Security, sent a letter to the acting leadership of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) regarding their agencies’ February 22 search for an individual at JFK Airport which resulted in passengers being forced to show identification to federal law enforcement as they disembarked a domestic flight.
It is troubling that CBP officers called to assist apparently chose to require passengers, including U.S. citizens, to produce identification before disembarking, rather than confirming whether the individual was on the flight either by visual inspection, checking the passenger manifest, or confirming with ICE that the individual was aboard. The name, date of birth, and photograph of the individual in question should have been available to CBP, and the Department of Homeland Security and the airline would have had the passenger manifest.
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