USA tillämpar inte "sterile transit" så utan ett ESTA får du inte ens kliva på planet, även om ditt slutmål är i ett annat land än USA. Saxat från Wikivoyage:

"One reason to avoid US airports is that, unlike many other countries, the United States does not allow sterile transit, which means that for any stop in the US, you have to pass through Customs and Immigration. This policy applies to all landings:

transferring – get off one plane and onto another without leaving the airport

at an intermediate airport – for example, flying from Tokyo to Rio and the plane touches down in New York City

your plane just stops for fuel – for example, some Asia-Canada over-the-pole flights refuel in Alaska

In all cases everyone has to get off and go through immigration; many travellers will therefore need either a Visa Waiver or C1 transit visa. The policy also applies for US territories such as Guam, the US Virgin Islands or Puerto Rico, though the visa rules are different there."

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Avoiding_travel_through_the_United_States