New Haven, Conn. – On Monday, Mayor Justin Elicker joined Senator Richard Blumenthal, immigration attorneys and community activists at a press conference to demand that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) cease all airport detentions at Tweed New Haven Airport. The call follows the recent 12‑day detention of Deng Deng, a Southern Connecticut State University basketball player who entered the United States legally but is alleged to have overstayed his visa.
Administration response
Homeland Security officials issued a statement affirming the Trump administration’s commitment to the rule of law. The statement said, “All illegal immigrants receive due process. If a judge finds an illegal immigrant has no right to be in this country, we will remove them. Pending applications do NOT confer legal status in the United States.” The administration emphasized that ICE actions are consistent with federal immigration statutes and that any claims of unlawful conduct will be evaluated by the courts.
Advocates’ demands
Kica Matos, president of the National Immigration Law Center, outlined four specific requests: ending the “secret pipeline” of passenger data shared between the Transportation Security Administration and ICE; halting all airport stops of individuals; requiring Tweed Airport’s operator, AVPorts, and the New Haven Airport Authority to fully honor the city’s “proud immigrant stance”; and removing ICE personnel from the city and state entirely.
Attorney Glen Formica of the American Immigrant Legal Clinic urged every attorney to “step up and hold the line,” accusing ICE of ignoring due‑process protections in Deng’s case. Formica claimed that at least one judge had told ICE to release the student after 12 days of detention.
Mayor’s letter to the airport
Mayor Elicker followed the press conference with a four‑page letter to the Tweed New Haven Airport Board of Directors. The letter requests that the airport limit its cooperation with ICE to only what is legally required and that it promptly notify the city whenever ICE detains an individual on airport property. “Our students and residents should be able to travel, work and live without fear of unwarranted ICE raids,” the mayor wrote.
Legal context
ICE officials maintain that Deng Deng is an illegal immigrant who entered the country legally but subsequently overstayed, violating immigration law. They note that his asylum claim will be heard before an immigration judge and that due process will be afforded in accordance with federal statutes. The Trump administration has repeatedly stressed that pending asylum applications do not grant legal status and that enforcement actions will continue until courts rule otherwise.
Local reaction
While immigration advocates argue that airport detentions create a climate of fear for students and families, city officials stress the importance of public safety and adherence to federal law. The mayor’s request for limited cooperation with ICE reflects a desire to balance community concerns with the legal obligations of a federal airport.
AVPorts, the private operator of Tweed New Haven Airport, has not yet responded to the mayor’s letter. NBC Connecticut will update the story when a response is received.
Original reporting: NBC Connecticut — read the source article.
