IN THE PROFESSION
Wise words. But the frequency with which passengers forget to screen their luggage for prohibited items points to a difficulty the world’ s busiest airport will have to keep in mind as passenger traffic swells during the World Cup.
21st Century Security
One of the airport’ s most interesting security preparations has been the deployment of biometric“ eGates.”
Beginning in 2025, TSA partnered with the private company CLEAR to pilot eGate technology. These eGates use real-time facial recognition to match a traveler’ s live image against their government-issued identification. Once verified, the traveler bypasses the traditional TSA podium and proceeds directly to physical screening. The TSA says it retains complete operational control over screening and information.
However, the rollout has already drawn legal scrutiny. A bipartisan group in Congress called on the DHS to review the TSA’ s use of facial recognition technology, and the Inspector General confirmed an audit would be conducted. Critics have raised concerns about the collection and transmission of sensitive biometric data— names, dates of birth, nationalities, passport numbers, and facial scans— by a private company operating inside a federal security checkpoint. For its part, CLEAR has stated that it only transmits the limited data necessary for verification and has no access to government watchlists.
Beyond the eGates, Georgia’ s TSA Federal Security Director Michael Donnelly has described the agency’ s approach to the World Cup matches plainly:“ We’ re preparing like every game is a Super Bowl.” In addition to the biometric upgrades, the airport will increase police presence in both the international and domestic terminals during match periods and deploy volunteers and World Cup – themed, multilingual signage.
Immigration Dimension
No discussion of the airport’ s World Cup preparations would be complete without acknowledging the immigration enforcement context in which they are taking place. Customs and Border Protection has stated it is committed to facilitating secure entry for athletes, officials, fans, and visitors.
At the same time, advocacy organizations— including Human Rights Watch, joined by over fifty civil society groups— have raised concerns that the current climate of immigration enforcement in the United States could discourage some fans from traveling to the tournament. These groups have written to FIFA urging it to seek assurances that the constitutional and human rights of foreign visitors will be protected. It remains to be seen how the agencies handling tournament security( local police, stadium teams, and DHS agencies) will interact and coordinate with immigration enforcement( handled by ICE).
Conclusion
Hartsfield-Jackson has spent the last century growing from a dusty racetrack into the single busiest airport on earth. This summer, it will face the enormous challenge of processing a historic volume of international visitors, under one of the most complex overlapping legal and enforcement frameworks of any area in the United States. How this unique jurisdictional crossroads fares in the frenzied months to come will be closely watched— by the city, by the legal community, and by the world.
About the Author—
Charles Cullen is a career criminal defense attorney. The Chair of the Atlanta Bar Association’ s Criminal Law Section, he recently opened his own firm, Cullen Law, in Alpharetta, GA. 14 MARCH APRIL 2026