Back in late-2016 civil-liberties attorneys took ICE to court seeking info about their secretive deportation transport system (which includes private air-carriers known as ICE Air)
The legal action came right after Donald Trump announced his plans for wide-scale removal of un-documented persons; lawyers needed answers about how authorities would handle such mass-scale operations
The federal suit points out that ICE hasnt provided requested data about:
- Private airline partnerships
- Ground vehicle services
- Landing field locations
- Rules for deportation flights
- Child-transport protocols
Immigration authorities kept quiet about basic info requests regarding their transport system — including details about moving kids across borders; this lack of transparency made rights-defenders worried about future large-scale operations
The case shows growing need for clear info about ICEʼs transport methods: private companies work with government but nobody knows exact details about contracts costs or safety rules in-place