ICE Flights Skyrocket: Tracking Detainee Planes Amidst Reduced Transparency

Increased ICE Flights and Reduced Transparency

• 📈 The number of ICE flights carrying detainees has skyrocketed by 90% in the past three months compared to the previous year.
• ✈️ This surge is expected to continue, with the Department of Homeland Security earmarking $14.4 billion for ICE flights.
• ⚠️ The Trump administration is making it harder to track these flights, with most operating with little transparency.

Obscuring Flight Information

• 🚫 Tail numbers are blocked from flight tracking websites, making it nearly impossible for families and advocates to locate detainees.
• 🕵️ CNN tracked a specific Boeing 737 operated by Eastern Air Express (tail number N668 CP) using a crowdsourced database and educated guesses about flight paths.
• 🏷️ Many ICE flights use the call sign "Tyson," the same call sign previously used for Trump's personal plane.

Detainee Transport and Deportation

• ⛓️ Detainees, with hands restrained, are seen boarding these flights, often after being picked up and dropped off at multiple stops.
• 📍 The flights utilize over 70 airports across the country, moving detainees between detention centers before deportation.
• 🌍 Alexandria, Louisiana, is identified as the busiest hub for ICE deportation flights, with detainees potentially being deported after a 24-hour journey.
• ⏳ Detainees may be handcuffed for nearly ten hours during these extensive flights.