Checking Passports Upon Deplaning in US?
 

UA896 arrived in Chicago today, only about 30 minutes late, but exiting the plane took forever because the TSA was checking each passenger's passport at the exit of the jetway. This was my third international arrival since the Christmas Day incident and the first time I've seen this "added security".

Anyone seen this before or know why it's being done?

Yes, I have encountered this once before. It was conducted in the jetway. This extra security measure is very rare though.

It's not "added security." They're looking for someone who is on your flight.

I experienced this once before, about a year ago.

If that is the case, wouldn't it be much easier and faster by just examining the manifest, board the plane as soon as the door is open, go to the seat and retrieve the subject PAX?

One would think that there would be a logical way to find someone, but this is the TSA we're talking about.

Duh, but this is TSA we are talking about! :mad:

Jinx! I owe you a soda :(

This happens frequently in MIA, but is barely perceptible because they do it very quickly and unobtrusively. There has been zero problem when it has happened on flights I've been on.

There's probably some legal nuance why they don't do that.

If they don't have probably cause to arrest someone, making a big deal like that may be an issue.

I've never seen the TSA anywhere on the arrivals side of the international terminal there in the three times I've come through there this year. Were they accompanied by CBP officers?

I would think if they are looking for someone they don't want to alert them, but would rather 'surprise' them at exit. If there really was a threat of some sort and they boarded, it's an immediate alert and a chance for the suspect to take drastic action like grabbing someone's kid or something.

Have TSA screeners been trained to deal with those types of situations? I'd be surprised if they have been tasked to look for someone when you have law enforcement assets that could easily perform that task.

I've seen that too. I happened to be deplaning right after the "couple of interest". They got escorted off by the TSA people waiting for them in the jetway, and folks behind them did not get their passports checked in the jetway.

As this seems to be a policy that is not specific to United Airlines, I'm moving this to the Travel Safety/Security Forum.

FlyinHawaiian, Co-Moderator
United Mileage Plus Forum

When I see this, it's usually just CBP. Less often CBP and TSA are together, but even then I've never seen TSA doing any checking of passport on arrival unless it involves going to a TSA screening checkpoint after having been cleared by CBP.

I suspect there were CBP officers, not TSA.