Unconfirmed information circulating on social media claims that about five Tongans were arrested by United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement after arriving on an Alaska Airlines flight at Salt Lake City International Airport.
Kaniva News contacted ICE seeking confirmation of whether the arrests occurred, when they allegedly took place and the grounds on which the Tongans may have been detained. ICE had not responded at the time of publication.
US-based Tongan pastor Olympia Kaumatule Tukutau posted a warning on Facebook about the reported arrests, claiming that ICE had previously detained several other Tongans.
However, no photographs, official documents or direct accounts from the alleged detainees or their families have emerged publicly to substantiate the latest claim.
The allegation comes amid a significant expansion of immigration enforcement at airports across the United States, including against travellers taking domestic flights.
Recent investigations have revealed that the Transportation Security Administration has been sharing passenger information with ICE to help agents locate travellers who may be subject to deportation.
Tongans Face Wider Restrictions
The allegation also emerges as Tongans in Tonga continue to face difficulties travelling to the United States following restrictions imposed by the Trump administration in January.
As Kaniva News reported this week, tighter US visa policies have significantly affected Tongan pickleball players seeking to compete in international tournaments.
Several players were unable to attend a recent tournament in Utah after their visa applications were denied, despite some having previously held multiple-entry US visas and travelled to the country.
Tournament president Johnny Hafoka said the number of Tongan participants fell from 20 last year to eight this year. Players have also faced the prospect of visa bonds and increased scrutiny when entering the United States.
TSA Data Fuels Arrests
According to Reuters, ICE arrested more than 800 people following TSA referrals between President Donald Trump’s return to office and February 2026.
The TSA reportedly supplied ICE with records relating to more than 31,000 travellers through its Secure Flight programme, which was originally established for aviation-security screening.
A formal information-sharing agreement between TSA and ICE was signed in May 2025, but its details only became publicly known in July following legal action seeking the documents.
CBS News reported that the cooperation had expanded beyond national-security and serious-criminal investigations to include civil immigration violations, such as overstaying an authorised period in the country.
ICE sources told the outlet that airports enabled agents to know in advance when targeted individuals would be travelling and where they could be located.
The wider airport-enforcement campaign makes the latest allegation concerning Tongans plausible enough to warrant investigation, but it does not confirm that the reported arrests occurred.
There is also no evidence presently available to Kaniva News suggesting that Alaska Airlines participated in the alleged enforcement action. The airline’s name is relevant only because social-media accounts identify it as the carrier on which the Tongans allegedly travelled.
