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Can an "illegal" immigrant fly domestic with a picture ID?

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Old Oct 14, 2006 | 4:34 pm
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Can an "illegal" immigrant fly domestic with a picture ID?

I have an actress friend who just landed a nice part on a TV sitcom and needs to fly to LA for a month or two for filming. They presently live in NY.

She has a part time nanny who would like to go with them and help out but does not have US citizen papers. In fact whatever papers she did have, may, we are not sure, be expired. She is from the Carribbean and does have a St. Lucia passport as well as a NY State non-driving picture ID.

Can she fly domestically from NY to LA with her NY picture ID without a fear of being arrested as an illegal at the airport?
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Old Oct 14, 2006 | 4:36 pm
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Originally Posted by david4455
I have an actress friend who just landed a nice part on a TV sitcom and needs to fly to LA for a month or two for filming. They presently live in NY.

She has a part time nanny who would like to go with them and help out but does not have US citizen papers. In fact whatever papers she did have, may, we are not sure, be expired. She is from the Carribbean and does have a St. Lucia passport as well as a NY State non-driving picture ID.

Can she fly domestically from NY to LA with her NY picture ID without a fear of being arrested as an illegal at the airport?
There have been some threads on this before. A state issued ID should be okay, though. There is always a small chance that La Migra will be looking for people, but usually in the southwest, from what I've seen.
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Old Oct 14, 2006 | 4:37 pm
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Originally Posted by david4455
I have an actress friend who just landed a nice part on a TV sitcom and needs to fly to LA for a month or two for filming. They presently live in NY.

She has a part time nanny who would like to go with them and help out but does not have US citizen papers. In fact whatever papers she did have, may, we are not sure, be expired. She is from the Carribbean and does have a St. Lucia passport as well as a NY State non-driving picture ID.

Can she fly domestically from NY to LA with her NY picture ID without a fear of being arrested as an illegal at the airport?
She should be fine since immigration dragnets are still not an ordinary part of most all domestic US flights.
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Old Oct 14, 2006 | 5:01 pm
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In my experience even flying through the southwest airports the only time you see "la migra" is when you go through customs. Domestic flights shouldn't be an issue at all. Though I've seen some Border Patrol people walking around but I'd say it's mostly for show and usually near international flight areas. Also, i'm not sure about other states, but in California non-ICE officials don't do anything related to immigration. If a LEO pulls somone over and find that they are illegal they can't do anything with regards to immigration status. That will change soon however with a supposed new law thats being put through legislation.
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Old Oct 14, 2006 | 5:21 pm
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Originally Posted by Jaimito Cartero
There have been some threads on this before. A state issued ID should be okay, though. There is always a small chance that La Migra will be looking for people, but usually in the southwest, from what I've seen.
Can you give me any clues as to what to search for the other threads...I keep turning up nothing in my searches....

Thanks
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Old Oct 15, 2006 | 11:56 am
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Originally Posted by Travellin' Fool
In my experience even flying through the southwest airports the only time you see "la migra" is when you go through customs. Domestic flights shouldn't be an issue at all.
In LRD, there are agents standing at a podium after security asking all passengers if they are US citizens, regardless of where their flight is going. I'm not sure if they do this at any other border airports, but they've done this at LRD since before 9/11.
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Old Oct 15, 2006 | 1:34 pm
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I am a fully legal immigrant (green card, and b4 that H1B), and anyone would know I was not US-born and raised from my accent. In hundreds of domestic flights (mainly to/from SoCal airports) I have never, ever had any kind of question asked when I just showed my DL as photo ID. Also, when I moved to CA from WA I had a gap without a photo DL (CA DMV are incredibly slow), and used my passport as ID when flying, and nobody ever looked to check my visa. So, from my experience using either the NY ID or her passport world not cause any questions.
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Old Oct 15, 2006 | 1:57 pm
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Originally Posted by KFinTX
In LRD, there are agents standing at a podium after security asking all passengers if they are US citizens, regardless of where their flight is going. I'm not sure if they do this at any other border airports, but they've done this at LRD since before 9/11.
I had heard about this from someone here before but never been through it myself.

Either LRD is part of the US or it's not, and so asking people to declare themselves as citizens or not is ridiculous when it comes to domestic flights. Also, US persons include more than just US citizens, both of whom should not be subject to this nonsense. Actually no one should be subject to "paper checks" by the government when it comes to domestic flights.
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Old Oct 15, 2006 | 5:30 pm
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Originally Posted by GUWonder
I had heard about this from someone here before but never been through it myself.

Either LRD is part of the US or it's not, and so asking people to declare themselves as citizens or not is ridiculous when it comes to domestic flights.
You know that & I know that (I should, because I live here), but that's the way it is for some bizarre reason. I suppose it's all a part of the "Border Patrol Agent Full Employment Act" or something. And actually, the guys at the airport are a lot nicer about it than the guys at the checkpoint, who sometimes take offense at my bumperstickers.

I grew up in the Valley & often flew out of MFE & NEVER was I asked about my citizenship before getting on a flight there.
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Old Oct 15, 2006 | 7:12 pm
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Originally Posted by Travellin' Fool
In my experience even flying through the southwest airports the only time you see "la migra" is when you go through customs.
I would use caution in applying that statement to all airports in the southwest US. Once upon a time (....until last week), I lived in ELP, and when you entered the security line at the airport, there is a CBP officer stationed there 24/7. They are obviously looking for those that might be illegal, and I have seen them pull numerous people aside to check for their papers. This was for all security, not just international.

Funny thing is....the US Government is supposed to avoid racial profiling, but exactly 100% of the people that I saw being pulled aside by CBP at ELP were of Hispanic origin.

Point being, one is always at risk of exposure when dealing with such a high security place.

Last edited by theblakefish; Oct 16, 2006 at 8:58 pm
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Old Oct 15, 2006 | 9:06 pm
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Originally Posted by GUWonder
I had heard about this from someone here before but never been through it myself.

Either LRD is part of the US or it's not, and so asking people to declare themselves as citizens or not is ridiculous when it comes to domestic flights. Also, US persons include more than just US citizens, both of whom should not be subject to this nonsense. Actually no one should be subject to "paper checks" by the government when it comes to domestic flights.
Well, don't ever drive from the Valley to San Antonio or points north. Just like the highway from San Diego to LA, there is a CBP inspection checkpoint about 20 mile inside the border on the Interstate. You must stop for inspection, US citizen or not.

With all the pressure on illegal immigration, it's only going to get worse.
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Old Oct 15, 2006 | 9:21 pm
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Originally Posted by theblakefish
I would use caution in applying that statement to all airports in the southwest US. Once upon a time (....until last week), I lived in ELP, and when you entered the security line at the airport, there is a CBP officer stationed there 24/7.
Oh wow, i didn't know that. I have flown through there a couple times too. Back to the OP's airports, IMO LAX shouldn't be the same problem as ELP because it's so big and busy. Plus, if the PAX is with a group, that really brings down the "risk" factor.
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Old Oct 15, 2006 | 9:24 pm
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Originally Posted by Global_Hi_Flyer
Well, don't ever drive from the Valley to San Antonio or points north. Just like the highway from San Diego to LA, there is a CBP inspection checkpoint about 20 mile inside the border on the Interstate. You must stop for inspection, US citizen or not...
Unfortunately, at the SAN/LAX checkpoint they will stop you (when it's open) if you look mexican. A buddy of mine who is a Marine (has a military sticker on his truck) and is part asian was pulled over and they started speaking spanish to him. He replied in his bay area accent that he had no clue what they were saying so they made him get out of his car and searched it. Ridiculous
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Old Oct 15, 2006 | 9:45 pm
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Originally Posted by Global_Hi_Flyer
Well, don't ever drive from the Valley to San Antonio or points north. Just like the highway from San Diego to LA, there is a CBP inspection checkpoint about 20 mile inside the border on the Interstate. You must stop for inspection, US citizen or not.

With all the pressure on illegal immigration, it's only going to get worse.
I think you are correct.

If DHS/CBP/ICE did their job well in the first place we wouldn't have this issue in the way we do within the US. Instead DHS/CBP/ICE decide to do a lousy job within the US as well. to this and the mission creep.

Fortunately East Coast to LA flights don't generally have an immigration/law enforcement dragnet in play. (There are some exceptions for flights from So.Cal but not enough that plans need to be changed.)
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Old Oct 15, 2006 | 9:50 pm
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delete me, sorry
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