Hidden details of ICE deportation flights: Lawyers demand answers in federal case
Civil rights attorneys started legal battle with ICE about secret flight contracts and deportation methods. Case focuses on private airlines cooperation and special rules for moving people across borders
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
