A public meeting at Burlington International Airport drew in a crowd of dozens Wednesday evening as activists raise concerns over alleged secretive U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations happening at the airport.For the past four months, local residents Lexington Kennedy and Julie Macuga said they have been documenting what they describe as “unauthorized ICE transfers” happening in the early morning hours.According to both activists, detainees are being moved through the airport without public knowledge and outside of standard TSA procedures.“I will never be the same having seen what I’ve seen going on through that airport,” said Kennedy. “It’s an incredibly emotional experience to watch what feels like human trafficking in front of your eyes.”Macuga added that in some cases, it appears ICE personnel are entering the facility “before TSA even opens,” using side doors and restricted access points.Both said their goal is to stop what they call the “ICE deportation machine” and push the city and airport officials to take action.They voiced their concerns directly during the Airport Commission’s public meeting Wednesday.Airport Director Nic Longo addressed their concerns.Longo and the airport reached out to a national law firm to see what ICE can and cannot do on their grounds. Included in the detailed report: ICE has the broad legal authority to enforce federal immigration law and operate through the public areas of the Airport.Longo says everyone, including federal agencies like ICE are required to go through standard TSA procedures and that his staff has not worked or interacted with ICE at all.”The security responsibility of screening passengers through those doors is not the responsibility of my team” said Longo.He says that it is not just Burlington. All airports are seeing this, and he is working with them to get a better sense of what to do next to appease the publics’ concerns. Burlington Mayor Emma Mulvaney-Stanak also acknowledged the situation during Monday’s City Council meeting.While expressing concern, she clarified the city’s legal limitations when it comes to federal policies. “Even though this is an airport for which the city has oversight,” she said, “Federal agencies and physical spaces, especially related to operations, are different than what the city actually has legal authority over.”This topic will be added as an agenda item for the next Airport Commission meeting next month. This is a developing story.
A public meeting at Burlington International Airport drew in a crowd of dozens Wednesday evening as activists raise concerns over alleged secretive U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations happening at the airport.
For the past four months, local residents Lexington Kennedy and Julie Macuga said they have been documenting what they describe as “unauthorized ICE transfers” happening in the early morning hours.
Advertisement
According to both activists, detainees are being moved through the airport without public knowledge and outside of standard TSA procedures.
“I will never be the same having seen what I’ve seen going on through that airport,” said Kennedy. “It’s an incredibly emotional experience to watch what feels like human trafficking in front of your eyes.”
Macuga added that in some cases, it appears ICE personnel are entering the facility “before TSA even opens,” using side doors and restricted access points.
Both said their goal is to stop what they call the “ICE deportation machine” and push the city and airport officials to take action.
They voiced their concerns directly during the Airport Commission’s public meeting Wednesday.
Airport Director Nic Longo addressed their concerns.
Longo and the airport reached out to a national law firm to see what ICE can and cannot do on their grounds. Included in the detailed report: ICE has the broad legal authority to enforce federal immigration law and operate through the public areas of the Airport.
Longo says everyone, including federal agencies like ICE are required to go through standard TSA procedures and that his staff has not worked or interacted with ICE at all.
“The security responsibility of screening passengers through those doors is not the responsibility of my team” said Longo.
He says that it is not just Burlington. All airports are seeing this, and he is working with them to get a better sense of what to do next to appease the publics’ concerns.
Burlington Mayor Emma Mulvaney-Stanak also acknowledged the situation during Monday’s City Council meeting.
While expressing concern, she clarified the city’s legal limitations when it comes to federal policies.
“Even though this is an airport for which the city has oversight,” she said, “Federal agencies and physical spaces, especially related to operations, are different than what the city actually has legal authority over.”
This topic will be added as an agenda item for the next Airport Commission meeting next month.
This is a developing story.
