Watchdog group sues for TSA data sharing agreement with ICE | CyberScoop<\/title> <meta name=\"description\" content=\"The lawsuit comes a day after a TSA official vigorously defended the practice as critical to \u201cnational security\u201d in testimony to Congress. \"> <link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/american-oversight-sues-tsa-ice-over-data-sharing-partnership-fight-records\/\"> <meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\"> <meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\"> <meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Watchdog group sues for TSA data sharing agreement with ICE \"> <meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The lawsuit comes a day after a TSA official vigorously defended the practice as critical to \u201cnational security\u201d in testimony to Congress. \"> <meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/american-oversight-sues-tsa-ice-over-data-sharing-partnership-fight-records\/\"> <meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"CyberScoop\"> <meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/cyberscoop\/\"> <meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-01-22T20:27:50+00:00\"> <meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-01-22T20:34:09+00:00\"> <meta name=\"author\" content=\"djohnson\"> <meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\"> <meta name=\"twitter:image\" content=\"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/watchdog-group-sues-for-tsa-data-sharing-agreement-with-ice-2.jpg\"> <meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@CyberScoopNews\"> <meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@CyberScoopNews\">  <link rel=\"dns-prefetch\" href=\"\/\/securepubads.g.doubleclick.net\">\n<link rel=\"dns-prefetch\" href=\"\/\/use.typekit.net\">\n<link rel=\"alternate\" type=\"application\/rss+xml\" title=\"CyberScoop \u00bb Feed\" href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/feed\/\">\n<link rel=\"alternate\" type=\"application\/rss+xml\" title=\"CyberScoop \u00bb Comments Feed\" href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/comments\/feed\/\"> <link rel=\"stylesheet\" id=\"all-css-2\" href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/wp-includes\/css\/dist\/block-library\/style.min.css?m=1765909325g\" type=\"text\/css\" media=\"all\"> <link rel=\"stylesheet\" id=\"all-css-6\" href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/wp-content\/mu-plugins\/search\/elasticpress\/dist\/css\/related-posts-block-styles.min.css?m=1767719924g\" type=\"text\/css\" media=\"all\"> <link rel=\"stylesheet\" id=\"all-css-8\" href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/wp-content\/themes\/scoopnewsgroup\/dist\/css\/frontend.css?m=1767808656g\" type=\"text\/css\" media=\"all\">\n<link rel=\"stylesheet\" id=\"typekit-css\" href=\"https:\/\/use.typekit.net\/itk2qbh.css?ver=13897d660a0ac2c9c7d1\" media=\"all\"> <link rel=\"https:\/\/api.w.org\/\" href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/wp-json\/\"><link rel=\"alternate\" title=\"JSON\" type=\"application\/json\" href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/87524\"><meta name=\"generator\" content=\"WordPress 6.8.3\">\n<link rel=\"shortlink\" href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/?p=87524\">\n<link rel=\"alternate\" title=\"oEmbed (JSON)\" type=\"application\/json+oembed\" href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/wp-json\/oembed\/1.0\/embed?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcyberscoop.com%2Famerican-oversight-sues-tsa-ice-over-data-sharing-partnership-fight-records%2F\">\n<link rel=\"alternate\" title=\"oEmbed (XML)\" type=\"text\/xml+oembed\" href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/wp-json\/oembed\/1.0\/embed?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcyberscoop.com%2Famerican-oversight-sues-tsa-ice-over-data-sharing-partnership-fight-records%2F&format=xml\">   <link rel=\"icon\" href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2023\/01\/cropped-cs_favicon-2.png?w=32\" sizes=\"32x32\">\n<link rel=\"icon\" href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2023\/01\/cropped-cs_favicon-2.png?w=192\" sizes=\"192x192\">\n<link rel=\"apple-touch-icon\" href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2023\/01\/cropped-cs_favicon-2.png?w=180\">\n<meta name=\"msapplication-TileImage\" content=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2023\/01\/cropped-cs_favicon-2.png?w=270\"> <\/head><body class=\"wp-singular post-template-default single single-post postid-87524 single-format-standard wp-theme-scoopnewsgroup wp-child-theme-cyberscoop\" id=\"readabilityBody\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/american-oversight-sues-tsa-ice-over-data-sharing-partnership-fight-records\/#main\" class=\"skip-to-content-link visually-hidden-focusable\">Skip to main content<\/a> <\/p>\n<div class=\"ad ad--top ad--top-desktop\">\n<div class=\"ad__inner\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Advertisement<\/span> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p> <main id=\"main\" role=\"main\" tabindex=\"-1\"> <\/p>\n<div class=\"ad ad--top ad--top-mobile\">\n<div class=\"ad__inner\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Advertisement<\/span> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<section id=\"stickybar\" class=\"stickybar stickybar--newsletter js-stickybar\" readability=\"0.82\"> <button class=\"stickybar__close js-stickybar-close\" aria-controls=\"stickybar\"> <svg class=\"icon icon--close\" width=\"21\" height=\"22\" viewBox=\"0 0 21 22\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"m.822.518-.805.805L9.695 11 .017 20.678l.805.805 9.678-9.678 9.677 9.678.806-.805L11.305 11l9.678-9.677-.806-.805-9.677 9.677L.822.518Z\" fill=\"currentColor\" \/><\/svg> <span class=\"visually-hidden\">Close<\/span> <\/button> <\/section>\n<article class=\"single-article content\">\n<div class=\"single-article__container js-single-article-content\">\n<header class=\"single-article__header \" readability=\"25.750307503075\">\n<div class=\"single-article__header-content\" readability=\"33.955555555556\">\n<p> The lawsuit comes a day after a TSA official vigorously defended the practice as critical to \u201cnational security\u201d in testimony to Congress. <\/p>\n<p>  <br \/>\n<audio id=\"audio-player\" src=\"https:\/\/wp-tts-cdn.api.scpnewsgrp.com\/cyberscoop\/87524\/english.openai.mp3\"><\/audio> <\/p>\n<div readability=\"11\">\n<div>\n<p>Listen to this article<\/p>\n<p>  <\/p>\n<p>0:00<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>  <\/p>\n<p> <span id=\"tts-tooltip\">Learn more.<\/span> <span> This feature uses an automated voice, which may result in occasional errors in pronunciation, tone, or sentiment. <\/span> <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>  <\/div>\n<div class=\"single-article__cover-wrap\">\n<figure class=\"single-article__cover\"> <img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" fetchpriority=\"high\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/watchdog-group-sues-for-tsa-data-sharing-agreement-with-ice.jpg?resize=640%2C427&ssl=1\" class=\"single-article__cover-image wp-post-image\" alt decoding=\"async\" fetchpriority=\"high\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/watchdog-group-sues-for-tsa-data-sharing-agreement-with-ice-2.jpg 4760w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/watchdog-group-sues-for-tsa-data-sharing-agreement-with-ice-2.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/watchdog-group-sues-for-tsa-data-sharing-agreement-with-ice-2.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/watchdog-group-sues-for-tsa-data-sharing-agreement-with-ice-2.jpg?resize=1024,683 1024w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/watchdog-group-sues-for-tsa-data-sharing-agreement-with-ice-2.jpg?resize=1536,1024 1536w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/watchdog-group-sues-for-tsa-data-sharing-agreement-with-ice-2.jpg?resize=2048,1366 2048w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/watchdog-group-sues-for-tsa-data-sharing-agreement-with-ice-2.jpg?resize=600,400 600w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/watchdog-group-sues-for-tsa-data-sharing-agreement-with-ice-2.jpg?resize=252,168 252w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/watchdog-group-sues-for-tsa-data-sharing-agreement-with-ice-2.jpg?resize=505,337 505w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/watchdog-group-sues-for-tsa-data-sharing-agreement-with-ice-2.jpg?resize=1012,675 1012w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/watchdog-group-sues-for-tsa-data-sharing-agreement-with-ice-2.jpg?resize=1264,843 1264w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1012px) 100vw, 1012px\"><figcaption> WASHINGTON, DC – JANUARY 21: Ha Nguyen McNeill, senior official performing the duties of the administrator of the Transportation Security Administration, testifies during the DHS oversight hearing in the Cannon House office building on January 21, 2026 in Washington, DC. The hearing covered a full oversight into the Department of Homeland Security, CISA, TSA and S&T. (Photo by Heather Diehl\/Getty Images) <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"single-article__content\">\n<div class=\"single-article__content-inner has-drop-cap\"> <html readability=\"36.055245941362\"><body readability=\"74.146514935989\"><\/p>\n<p>A nonprofit is suing the federal government for records surrounding a data sharing agreement between the Transportation Security Administration and Immigrations and Customs Enforcement that saw domestic travel data used for immigration enforcement.<\/p>\n<p>Government watchdog group American Oversight filed <a href=\"https:\/\/www.documentcloud.org\/documents\/26500753-american-oversight-v-tsa-and-ice-data-sharing-for-immigration-enforcement\/\">suit<\/a> against the agencies Thursday in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, a day after acting TSA Administrator Ha Nguyen McNeill <a href=\"https:\/\/fedscoop.com\/tsa-shares-passenger-data-ice\/\">told Congress<\/a> that it was \u201cabsolutely within our authorities\u201d to hand over passenger data to other agencies for immigration enforcement operations.<\/p>\n<p>A New York Times <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2025\/12\/12\/us\/politics\/immigration-tsa-passenger-data.html?unlocked_article_code=1.8E8.Eq1e.UWBSEHXikOTq&smid=nytcore-ios-share\">report<\/a> in December revealed that the data sharing partnership included the names and birth dates of passengers. According to the report, TSA sends ICE a list several times a week containing passenger data for upcoming flights, which ICE then checks against its own immigration records.<\/p>\n<p>Under the Trump administration, the Department of Homeland Security and ICE have dramatically expanded immigration enforcement efforts to areas \u2013 like airports and schools \u2013 that have not been traditionally targeted by past administrations. The data sharing program between TSA and ICE was reportedly used in the high-profile detention and deportation of 19-year-old college student Any Luc\u00eda L\u00f3pez Belloza from Boston\u2019s Logan Airport over Thanksgiving 2025. A court later found that Belloza was illegally deported to Honduras.<\/p>\n<div class=\"ad ad--inline_1 \">\n<div class=\"ad__inner\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Advertisement<\/span> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>American Oversight filed Freedom of Information Act requests seeking to learn what other information was passed along as part of the agreement, claiming \u201cthe full scope of the collaboration\u2014including what other pieces of data are being shared, and whether U.S. citizens have been swept up in any enforcement actions\u2014has not been disclosed.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The group claimed that after their initial requests were denied, TSA and ICE stopped responding after the nonprofit filed an appeal under FOIA law.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAs of the date of this Complaint, Defendant TSA has failed to notify\u2026regarding American Oversight\u2019s FOIA request, including the scope of responsive records Defendants intend to produce or withhold and the reasons for any withholdings,\u201d the lawsuit states.<\/p>\n<p>On Wednesday, Acting TSA Administrator Ha Nguyen McNeill defended the data sharing agreement to Congress as both legal and appropriate under the national security mandate of DHS.<\/p>\n<p>While the Privacy Act prevents or constrains agencies from sharing information across different departments, that law doesn\u2019t apply to what TSA and ICE are doing. Both are part of the Department of Homeland Security, and in many instances<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nilc.org\/resources\/community-alert-immigration-arrests-at-airports\/\"> can legally share<\/a> data with other component agencies, according to the National Immigration Law Center.<\/p>\n<div class=\"ad ad--inline_1 \">\n<div class=\"ad__inner\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Advertisement<\/span> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>McNeill made a similar argument when pressed by Rep. LaMonica McIver, D-NJ, to explain what legal authorities TSA was relying on to share the data. She later promised to produce \u201cthe exact statute\u201d that DHS was citing.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe are acting within our absolute authorities,\u201d said McNeill. \u201cWe are part of the DHS, it was a department set up by Congress to ensure these agencies aren\u2019t operating in silos, and that\u2019s what we\u2019re doing today to advance the national security mission of the department.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>McIver disputed that characterization, noting \u201cthere is no law that forbids undocumented [people] from flying domestically within the U.S.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTSA\u2019s mission is to secure transportation, not to assist ICE with immigration enforcement,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<p><\/body> <\/p>\n<footer class=\"single-article__footer\" readability=\"3.2209492635025\">\n<div class=\"author-card\" readability=\"13\">\n<div class=\"author-card__avatar\">\n<figure class=\"author-card__image-wrap\"> <img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"author-card__image\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/watchdog-group-sues-for-tsa-data-sharing-agreement-with-ice-1.jpg?w=640&ssl=1\" alt=\"Derek B. Johnson\"> <\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><h4 class=\"author-card__name\">Written by Derek B. Johnson<\/h4>\n<p> Derek B. Johnson is a reporter at CyberScoop, where his beat includes cybersecurity, elections and the federal government. Prior to that, he has provided award-winning coverage of cybersecurity news across the public and private sectors for various publications since 2017. Derek has a bachelor\u2019s degree in print journalism from Hofstra University in New York and a master\u2019s degree in public policy from George Mason University in Virginia. <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"single-article__tags-container\">\n<h4 class=\"single-article__tags-title\">In This Story<\/h4>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/footer>\n<p> <\/html><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"single-article__ads js-single-article-sidebar\">\n<div class=\"ad ad--sidebar js-single-article-sidebar-5 ad--rightrail_1 \">\n<div class=\"ad__inner\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Advertisement<\/span> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ad ad--sidebar js-single-article-sidebar-4 ad--rightrail_2 \">\n<div class=\"ad__inner\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Advertisement<\/span> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ad ad--sidebar js-single-article-sidebar-3 ad--rightrail_3 \">\n<div class=\"ad__inner\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Advertisement<\/span> <\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/article>\n<div class=\"popular-stories popular-stories--single-post\">\n<div class=\"popular-stories__container\">\n<h2 class=\"popular-stories__title\"> More Scoops <\/h2>\n<p>  <\/div>\n<p>\n<\/div>\n<p> <\/p>\n<section class=\"latest-podcasts\">\n<h2 class=\"latest-podcasts__title\"> Latest Podcasts\t<\/h2>\n<\/section>\n<div class=\"top-categories\">\n<div class=\"top-categories__container\">\n<h3 class=\"top-categories__category-title\">Government<\/h3>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"top-categories__container\">\n<h3 class=\"top-categories__category-title\">Technology<\/h3>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p> <\/main> <\/p>\n<div class=\"ad ad--bottom \">\n<div class=\"ad__inner\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Advertisement<\/span> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"interstitial\" class=\"welcome__container\"> <button id=\"close-modal-1\" class=\"welcome__clickable_area\"><\/button> <\/p>\n<div class=\"welcome__ad_wrapper\">\n<p> <button id=\"close-modal-3\" class=\"welcome__continue-button\">Continue to CyberScoop<\/button> <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>   <\/body> <a href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/american-oversight-sues-tsa-ice-over-data-sharing-partnership-fight-records\/\">Source<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Watchdog group sues for TSA data sharing agreement with ICE <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[655,5845,117,5846,1694,439,268,812],"tags":[657,5847,119,5848,1695,443,274,813],"class_list":["post-8284","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-congress","category-data-sharing","category-government","category-immigration-and-customs-enforcement-ice","category-lawsuit","category-policy","category-privacy","category-transportation-security-administration-tsa","tag-congress","tag-data-sharing","tag-government","tag-immigration-and-customs-enforcement-ice","tag-lawsuit","tag-policy","tag-privacy","tag-transportation-security-administration-tsa"],"featured_image_urls":{"full":"","thumbnail":"","medium":"","medium_large":"","large":"","1536x1536":"","2048x2048":"","chromenews-featured":"","chromenews-large":"","chromenews-medium":""},"author_info":{"display_name":"Cyber Scoop","author_link":"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/index.php\/author\/cyberscoop\/"},"category_info":"<a href=\"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/index.php\/category\/congress\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Congress<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/index.php\/category\/data-sharing\/\" rel=\"category tag\">data sharing<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/index.php\/category\/government\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Government<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/index.php\/category\/immigration-and-customs-enforcement-ice\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/index.php\/category\/lawsuit\/\" rel=\"category tag\">lawsuit<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/index.php\/category\/policy\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Policy<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/index.php\/category\/privacy\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Privacy<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/index.php\/category\/transportation-security-administration-tsa\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Transportation Security Administration (TSA)<\/a>","tag_info":"Transportation Security Administration (TSA)","comment_count":"0","jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8284","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/11"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8284"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8284\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8284"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8284"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8284"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}

{"id":8284,"date":"2026-01-22T14:27:50","date_gmt":"2026-01-22T20:27:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/?p=87524"},"modified":"2026-01-22T14:27:50","modified_gmt":"2026-01-22T20:27:50","slug":"watchdog-group-sues-for-tsa-data-sharing-agreement-with-ice","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/index.php\/2026\/01\/22\/watchdog-group-sues-for-tsa-data-sharing-agreement-with-ice\/","title":{"rendered":"Watchdog group sues for TSA data sharing agreement with ICE\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"