Alaska immigration attorneys sound alarm over air show detentions

Immigration attorneys in Alaska say a separate check-in line for non-citizens at the 2026 Arctic Thunder Open House at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage raised concerns and increased the risk of detentions. Lara Nations, of Nations Law Group, said her firm had not seen the screening approach in prior editions and warned about potential detention risks, particularly for people with pending asylum and green card applications. Nations said she is aware of at least three detention cases connected to the event, including two men sent to the Anchorage Correctional Complex and a woman transferred to Hiland Mountain Correctional Center in Eagle River. The U.S. Air Force did not respond by the article’s deadline, and the air show draws more than 200,000 visitors every two years.