US fines airlines $6.7 million for transporting passengers ‎without proper travel documents

From January 2019 to December 2022, US Customs and Border Protection imposed fines of $6.7 million on airlines for transporting passengers to the United States with expired foreign passports, invalid visas, or damaged, unreadable documents, according to CBP data.

According to “CNN,” a CBP spokesperson said: “Ensuring that all passengers seeking to travel to the United States have the appropriate travel documents will facilitate legal travel and result in fewer fines incurred by airlines, thus promoting a stronger relationship between CBP and airlines.”

Fines have been imposed on dozens of domestic and international airlines, while data shows that there are about 1,000 closed cases related to the transportation of people who lack appropriate documents to the United States.

The data shows that the three largest commercial airlines subjected to the highest fines are “American Airlines”, “Delta Airlines” and “Spirit Airlines”, and the fines for those companies amounted to about $ 1.1 million, $ 345 thousand, and $ 321 thousand, respectively.

Between 2019 and 2022, Delta carried 572 million customers worldwide and “several” cases resulted in fines due to “errors in government documents,” according to Delta Airlines spokesman Drake X. Castaneda.

Castañeda said: “As always, (Delta) is working with CBP to resolve these issues, many of which have been withdrawn by CBP, and our top priority is the safety and security of our employees and customers — and we remain in constant contact with all relevant government agencies here in the United States, and in the countries we serve in the common interest of safety and security.”

Nearly half of the fines, about $3.2 million, were imposed by CBP’s Miami field office, making it the busiest area for this type of activity, according to the data.

US airports that receive international travelers are considered ports of entry to the United States, where, among other things, US Customs and Border Protection officers and personnel carry out immigration enforcement, according to CBP.

A CBP spokesperson said: “If a person is found without the appropriate documentation, they can be denied entry into the United States.”

Under the Immigration and Nationality Act, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) can fine airlines $6,696 per passenger for illegally bringing non-citizens into the United States without valid documentation, according to the customs agency.

Airlines may choose to participate in a reduction in fines, by signing a Memorandum of Understanding with CBP, which sets out the airlines’ responsibilities in preventing the transfer to the United States of persons without proper documentation, through an informational request.

Currently, 40 airlines and cruise carriers have signed the Memorandum of Understanding — which provides up to a 50% reduction in penalties airlines incur for bringing an undocumented person into the United States, according to CBP.

American Airlines, a trade group that represents major US airlines, says that from 2019 to 2022, American Airlines carried 163.5 million passengers to the United States, working closely with Customs and Border Protection.