A new documentary reveals a little-known system used by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to fly detainees across the country for deportation.
The investigation brings public attention to a covert transportation network that operates largely out of sight. By uncovering the logistics of these flights, the report highlights the scale and secrecy of the federal government's deportation machinery.
The documentary, titled “ICE AIR: Inside America’s Secret Deportation Network,” began streaming on the 13News Now app on Monday night [2]. It is the result of a collaboration involving a multi-state investigative journalism team that sought to map the movement of detainees within the U.S. interior [1].
According to the report, the network has moved thousands of detainees [1]. The investigation focused on tracking aircraft and flight patterns to understand how ICE coordinates the transport of individuals from various holding facilities to deportation hubs.
"Our investigative team tracked flights," the KENS5 investigative team said [1]. The team's efforts were designed to illuminate a system that remains hidden from most of the public and the legal representatives of those being moved.
The documentary details the operational reach of the network across multiple U.S. states [1]. It examines the process of boarding and transporting detainees, providing a rare glimpse into the air-bridge system that facilitates rapid removals from the country.
“thousands of detainees”
The exposure of the ICE AIR network underscores the challenges legal advocates face when attempting to locate and represent detainees within the U.S. immigration system. Because these flights move people rapidly across state lines, the lack of transparency can hinder the ability of detainees to access counsel, or challenge their removal orders, before being deported.
