Deportation Flights Dispatch// EXECUTIVE ORDERS · COURT RULINGS · THIRD-COUNTRY AGREEMENTS · FLIGHT DATA
Catalog of deportation flight infrastructure since the second Trump inauguration: founding executive orders and proclamations, federal agency memos, court rulings, third-country agreements, flight monitoring reports, specific incidents, air carrier contracts, congressional oversight, and investigative reporting.
Research Artifact* Executive Orders & Proclamations
11 entries · 1 third-countryOne Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) signed into law
Reconciliation package allocating ~$170B over 4 years to immigration enforcement: $45B for detention (400% annual increase), $14B+ for ICE Air Operations and removal flights, $13B+ for 287(g) partner reimbursements, billions for border wall and DHS personnel. Created ‘surge capacity’ funding line that enabled CSI Aviation’s expanded charter contracts.
Proclamation 10949: Restricting the Entry of Foreign Nationals to Protect the United States from Foreign Terrorists and Other National Security and Public Safety Threats
Second-term travel ban under INA § 212(f), citing visa overstay rates. Establishes country-tier restrictions. Expanded in December 2025 by follow-up proclamation narrowing categorical exceptions.
Executive Order: Protecting American Communities from Criminal Aliens
Directs AG and DHS Secretary to publish a public list of ‘sanctuary jurisdictions’; identifies federal funds (grants, contracts) for suspension or termination; authorizes legal action against jurisdictions ‘in defiance.’
Proclamation 10903: Invocation of the Alien Enemies Act Regarding the Invasion of the United States by Tren de Aragua
Invokes the 1798 Alien Enemies Act, declaring Tren de Aragua perpetrates ‘invasion or predatory incursion.’ Authorizes immediate apprehension, detention, and removal of Venezuelan nationals 14+ identified as TdA members. Signed March 14; published Federal Register March 20. Operationalized the next day via two flights to CECOT (238 men) in defiance of Judge Boasberg’s TRO.
Executive Order 14159: Protecting the American People Against Invasion
Foundational immigration EO of second term. Revokes Biden-era enforcement priorities; directs faithful execution of immigration laws against all removable aliens; prioritizes final orders of removal; directs expansion of detention; sets up the funding pause to NGOs that ‘support or provide services to removable or illegal aliens.’ DHS implemented expedited removal expansion the next day (Jan 21).
Executive Order 14160: Protecting the Meaning and Value of American Citizenship
Restricts birthright citizenship for children of (1) two undocumented parents, (2) mother unlawfully present + non-LPR father, (3) mother on temporary legal status + non-LPR father. Effective Feb 20, 2025; subject to ongoing litigation.
Executive Order 14161: Protecting the United States From Foreign Terrorists and Other National Security and Public Safety Threats
Authorizes ‘enhanced vetting’ and country-based admission suspensions under INA § 212(f). Operationalized by Proclamation 10949 (June 4, 2025) imposing the second-term travel ban on multiple countries, later expanded by December 2025 proclamation.
Executive Order 14163: Realigning the United States Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP)
Suspends entry of new refugees under USRAP for 90 days (later effectively indefinite), with case-by-case exceptions only. Destroys ecosystem of refugee resettlement agencies. Subject to Pacito v. Trump litigation.
Executive Order 14165: Securing Our Borders
Reinstates Remain in Mexico; terminates categorical humanitarian parole programs including CHNV (Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, Venezuelans); ends CBP One app for asylum appointments; directs border wall construction.
Proclamation 10886: Declaring a National Emergency at the Southern Border
Declares national emergency at southern border, authorizing military deployment to border region; legal foundation for subsequent National Guard deployments and Camp East Montana tent facility on Fort Bliss.
Executive Order: Designating Cartels and Other Organizations as Foreign Terrorist Organizations and Specially Designated Global Terrorists
Designates Tren de Aragua, MS-13, and other transnational criminal organizations as Foreign Terrorist Organizations. Legal predicate for the March 14, 2025 Alien Enemies Act proclamation and subsequent CECOT removals.
* Federal Memos & Official Guidance
8 entries · 2 third-countryICE Guidance: Six-Hour Notice for Third-Country Removals
ICE memo permitting deportation to third countries with as little as 6 hours notice and without ‘assurances from third countries that they will not be persecuted or tortured.’ Operational basis for Eswatini, Ghana, Rwanda removals.
DOJ Memorandum: Prioritizing Denaturalization Cases (100-200/month FY2026)
Directs OIL to be supplied with 100-200 denaturalization cases per month in FY2026. Prior eight-year baseline was ~120 total cases. Creates pipeline from denaturalization → deportation eligibility.
Federal Register Notice: Termination of CHNV Humanitarian Parole
Terminates the Cuban/Haitian/Nicaraguan/Venezuelan humanitarian parole program for ~530,000 beneficiaries, who become deportable. Later struck down by D. Mass. in Doe v. DHS (March 31, 2026). Supreme Court ultimately allowed termination to proceed.
State Department Determination: Immigration as APA Foreign Affairs Function
Broad determination that all federal efforts related to border control, immigration, and cross-border transactions by any agency fall under APA foreign affairs exemption — eliminates notice-and-comment rulemaking requirements. Legal foundation for the secrecy around third-country agreements.
USCIS Policy Memorandum PM-602-0187: Issuance of Notices to Appear in Cases Involving Inadmissible and Deportable Aliens
Ends class-based NTA exemptions: USCIS will now issue Notices to Appear after denying benefit requests, creating direct USCIS-to-ICE pipeline. Anyone who applies for and is denied a green card, asylum, or other benefit now risks immediate deportation proceedings.
DOJ Memorandum: Sanctuary Jurisdictions Defunding
Directs DOJ to end funding to ‘sanctuary jurisdictions’ and pause funding to NGOs that ‘support or provide services to removable or illegal aliens’ pending review. Multiple lower courts later enjoined.
DHS Federal Register Notice: Expanding Expedited Removal Authority
Rescinds Biden’s March 21, 2022 expedited removal policy; restores expedited removal to fullest extent under INA—anyone present <2 years without valid entry documents. Bypasses immigration court entirely.
DHS Memorandum: Acting Secretary Authorization for Federal Law Enforcement to Assist in Immigration Enforcement
Day-after-inauguration memo deputizing DEA, ATF, U.S. Marshals Service, and other DOJ components with ‘the functions of an immigration officer.’ Operational basis for Northern Virginia and other joint-task-force raids.
* Federal Court Rulings
11 entries · 8 third-countryEl Gamal/Soliman Family Order: Texas Judge Orders Mid-Flight Return
After family was re-arrested at ICE check-in two days after court-ordered release and put on plane to Egypt, emergency orders from two judges resulted in the jet turning around mid-flight and returning to Denver. Lawyers called administration’s conduct ‘kidnapping.’
In re Boasberg: D.C. Circuit Mandamus Terminating Criminal Contempt Inquiry
Divided 2-1 panel grants mandamus terminating Boasberg’s criminal contempt inquiry into the AEA flight defiance. Plaintiffs plan to seek en banc review. Earlier August 2025 panel had set aside Boasberg’s probable cause finding.
Doe v. DHS: District Court Holds CHNV Parole Termination Unlawful
D. Mass. holds that DHS’s April 2025 mass termination of humanitarian parole for CBP One-paroled noncitizens was illegal because the record did not show DHS made the statutorily required determination that parole had fulfilled its purpose.
D.V.D. v. DHS: District Court Sets Aside DHS Third-Country Removal Policy
Partial summary judgment for nationwide class: DHS third-country removal policy is unlawful and set aside. DHS cannot remove people to countries not designated in their removal proceedings without meaningful notice and a genuine opportunity to seek protection. Rejected DHS argument that lack of specific prior knowledge of harm was sufficient.
J.G.G. v. Trump: Boasberg Orders Plans for Return of CECOT Detainees
Class certified for ~250 men sent to CECOT March 2025. Boasberg orders government to submit plans by Jan. 5 to facilitate return or provide hearings. Finds El Salvador imprisoned the men at U.S. behest, partly in exchange for $4.7M.
Department of Homeland Security v. D.V.D.: SCOTUS Stays Third-Country Removal Injunction
6-3 per curiam stays Murphy’s D.V.D. injunction, allowing third-country removals to resume pending merits litigation. Liberal dissent says administration’s actions ‘flagrantly unlawful.’ Cleared path for Eswatini flights two weeks later.
D.V.D. v. DHS: Injunction Against Third-Country Removals Without Notice
Class action injunction requiring meaningful notice and fear-claim opportunity before any third-country removal. Murphy subsequently ordered the May 2025 South Sudan flight diverted to Djibouti. SCOTUS stayed the injunction in June 2025 pending decision on merits.
In re Schroeder: D. Guam Denies DOJ Sanctions Motion Against Immigration Attorney
First public test of Trump EO targeting ‘frivolous’ immigration attorneys. DOJ moved to sanction L.A. attorney Joshua Schroeder for trying to halt client Vang Lor’s deportation to Laos. Motion denied.
A.A.R.P. v. Trump: SCOTUS Emergency 1AM Order Halting Bluebonnet AEA Removals
Unprecedented ~1AM ET Saturday order temporarily restraining AEA removals against Venezuelans at Bluebonnet ICE detention (N.D. Tex.). Signal that majority of justices did not trust administration compliance with April 7 ruling.
Trump v. J.G.G.: Supreme Court Vacates AEA TRO
Supreme Court 5-4 per curiam decision vacating Boasberg’s TRO on jurisdictional grounds, ruling AEA detainees must bring habeas claims in district of confinement (Texas). Requires ‘reasonable time’ notice for habeas filing. Sotomayor’s dissent calls administration conduct ‘extraordinary threat to the rule of law.’
J.G.G. v. Trump: Temporary Restraining Order on Alien Enemies Act Deportations
Oral TRO ordering deportation flights under the AEA to turn around. Two planes already in air continued to El Salvador in defiance; a third took off after the written order issued. Government later invoked state secrets privilege rather than detail the flights. Foundation case for criminal contempt inquiry.
* Third-Country Agreements
14 entries · 14 third-countryThird-Country Arrangement: Moldova (first flight March 2026)
First-time third-country flight to Moldova in March 2026, per HRF ICE Flight Monitor.
Third-Country Arrangement: Poland (Ukrainian transit)
First flight of Ukrainians transferred to Poland in November 2025, followed by returns across border to Ukraine. Tracks termination of Uniting for Ukraine (U4U) parole program.
Third-Country Agreement: Ghana
Agreement limited to West African nationals. First 14 men arrived Sept 4, 2025. Five Nigerian/Gambian deportees had been granted fear-based relief in U.S. immigration court. BBC reported Ghanaian officials bypassed border and ‘dumped’ one Nigerian deportee into Togo.
Third-Country Agreement: Uganda
‘Temporary’ bilateral agreement to accept African third-country nationals. Excludes those with criminal records and unaccompanied minors. Uganda already hosts largest refugee population in Africa (~2M). Administration indicated it might deport Kilmar Abrego Garcia to Uganda. First removal flight March 2026.
Third-Country Agreement: Rwanda
Up to 250 deportees in exchange for $7.5M. First cohort of 7 arrived August 28, including an Iraqi refugee. Tied to America First Global Health Strategy investments. Echoes Israel’s prior Rwanda arrangement and the failed UK-Rwanda scheme.
Third-Country Agreement: Honduras
Agreement to accept up to 200 deportees from other Spanish-speaking Latin American countries, including families with children. Asylum Cooperative Agreement framework. Used as Venezuela flight transit point February-August 2025.
Third-Country Agreement: Eswatini (Matsapha Correctional Complex)
U.S. paid $5.1M for Eswatini to accept up to 160 third-country nationals. Three flights: July 15, 2025 (5 men from VN/Laos/Jamaica/Cuba/Yemen, including Etoria); October 6, 2025 (10 men); March 11, 2026 (4 men from Somalia/Tanzania/Sudan). Held at Matsapha maximum-security prison without charges. Eswatini High Court dismissed challenge Feb 2026 for lack of standing.
Third-Country Agreement: Equatorial Guinea
$7.5M payment per media reports. First HRF-tracked flight November 2025. Equatorial Guinea is one of the most authoritarian states in Africa, ruled by Teodoro Obiang since 1979.
Third-Country Agreement: South Sudan
Eight deportees on May 2025 flight to South Sudan (Laos, VN, Cuba, Mexico, Myanmar, one S. Sudanese) ordered diverted to Djibouti by Judge Murphy. Late June 2025 SCOTUS stay allowed transfer to proceed. Confirmed by S. Sudan Sept 4 they hold 7. State Department travel advisory: Level 4 (do not travel).
Third-Country Arrangement: Libya (blocked)
May 2025 attempted flight to Libya blocked by federal court determining the country unsafe and due process not provided. Libya remains in ongoing civil conflict.
Third-Country Agreement: El Salvador (CECOT)
Pay-to-imprison agreement. 238 men transferred March 15-16, 2025 (137 under AEA, 101 under INA), including Kilmar Abrego Garcia (mistakenly deported in violation of withholding-of-removal order). $4.7M paid. Most repatriated to Venezuela July 2025 under three-country agreement. Boasberg later found probable cause administration violated his TRO.
Third-Country Arrangement: Costa Rica
2025 transit arrangement; March 2026 new agreement provides for regular transfers of 25 people per week. Designated ‘safe’ country for Kilmar Abrego Garcia (which administration has refused to use, attempting Liberia instead).
Third-Country Arrangement: Panama (Decapolis Hotel)
First major test of third-country pass-through. Detainees from Iran, Afghanistan, Russia, Uzbekistan, and Vietnam held at Decapolis Hotel in Panama City before being moved to jungle camps in Darien. International outrage over hotel-window protest signs.
Third-Country Arrangement: Mexico (largest recipient)
Mexico is by far the largest third-country recipient with over 17,000 transferred (including thousands not acknowledged in administration’s March 5, 2026 federal court accounting). Migration Policy Institute estimated 13,000 to Mexico in 2025 alone.
* Flight Tracking & Data Reports
7 entries · 7 third-countryAmnesty International: How do US ‘Third Country Removals’ Work and Are They Legal?
Amnesty analysis: at least 30 countries have concluded agreements with the US. 12 African (Cabo Verde, Cameroon, CAR, DRC, Equatorial Guinea, Eswatini, Ghana, Liberia, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, S. Sudan, Uganda). 15 in Americas. Plus Kosovo, Poland, Uzbekistan. MPI estimate: ~15,000 transferred Jan-Dec 2025, 13,000 to Mexico.
Third Country Deportation Watch: 19,000+ Third-Country Nationals Sent to 23 Countries
As of May 5, 2026: 19,000+ third-country nationals transferred to at least 23 countries. Mexico alone received 17,000+. Mobile Pathways tracked 15,225 pretermitted asylum cases per ACAs as of March 2026. DHS directed ICE attorneys March 13, 2026 to halt new pretermission motions but pending ones continue.
ICE Flight Monitor: March 2026 Report
March 2026: 1,794 flights total (122% YoY). 225 removal flights, 1,225 shuffle flights. Fuel stops jumped 46% (Curaçao, Senegal, Ireland, Bulgaria). First-time third-country flights to Moldova and Uganda. CSI Aviation begins using its own 19-passenger aircraft for domestic shuffles.
ICE Air Expands Deportation and Domestic Transfer Flights to Record Levels in First Year of Second Trump Administration
Year-one analysis: 2,253 removal flights to 79 countries (46% increase). 25 first-time destination countries. 9,066 domestic ‘shuffle’ flights (132% increase). First-ever removal flight to Israel (Palestinians from Phoenix to Tel Aviv, January 2026). Layover-transfer flights to Iran and Russia continue.
ICE Flight Monitor: Avelo Airlines Flew Nearly One in Five ICE Flights (May-Dec 2025)
Avelo carried out 1,945 ICE flights May-Dec 2025 (18% of all enforcement flights). Removal flights expanded to 25 Sub-Saharan African countries including first-time Benin, Mali, Mozambique. Venezuela flights paused mid-December 2025 after 76 flights and 14,310 deportees.
ICE Flight Monitor November 2025 Report: 1,026 Domestic Transfer Flights in November Alone
November 2025 record: 1,026 domestic shuffle flights, 212 removal flights to 33 countries. Total since Jan 20, 2025: 1,912 removal flights, 7,362 shuffles. 73 flights to Venezuela carried 13,656 deportees. First flights of Ukrainians to Poland, third-country flights to Equatorial Guinea.
The number of ICE flights is skyrocketing — but the planes are harder than ever to track
1,000+ deportation flights since inauguration (15% above 2024). 727 domestic shuffles in July alone (Cartwright). Airlines now mask tail numbers and use dummy call signs, making it harder for families to track loved ones. Richmond, VA one of ~70 domestic hubs. CSI Aviation contract grew from $128M (Feb 2025) to $321M+.
* Specific Flight Incidents
9 entries · 3 third-countryDallas Love Field: 127 ICE Flights This Year via Atlantic Aviation Hangar
Citizen flight verifiers Lanie Olmo and John Putnam documented 127 ICE flights from Dallas Love Field this year through Atlantic Aviation’s hangar. Coalition (CLEAR DFW, El Movimiento DFW, North Texas DSA, YALL/Texas AFL-CIO) pressuring city not to renew Atlantic contract.
Colorado El Gamal/Soliman Family Mid-Flight Turnaround
Hayam El Gamal and five children released by Texas federal judge, re-arrested at ICE check-in two days later, told they were being deported to Egypt and rushed onto plane. After Judges Biery and Wang issued emergency orders, jet turned around mid-flight back to Denver. Attorney Godshall-Bennett called it ‘kidnapping.’
First Removal Flight to Israel: Palestinians from Phoenix to Tel Aviv
ICE Flight Monitor’s January 2026 report documents first-ever U.S. removal flight to Israel, carrying Palestinians from Phoenix to Tel Aviv. Significant given Gaza conflict context and lack of safe-country protections for Palestinian deportees.
Venezuela Flight Suspension: Twice-Weekly Flights Halted After 76 Flights / 14,310 Deportees
After 76 removal flights and 14,310 deportees since February 2025, twice-weekly Venezuela flights paused after December 10, 2025, amid Trump declaring Venezuelan airspace ‘closed.’ Flights originally routed through Honduras Feb-Aug 2025.
SEA-TAC Halted Deportation: Greggy ‘Kuya G’ Sorio’s Flight Grounded by Union/Tanggol Migrante
Rare documented successful halt: IAM Local 2022 members Brandon Johnson and Evan Church coordinated with Tanggol Migrante’s Jo Faralan to alert Philippine Airlines to Sorio’s untreated ulcerative colitis (developed during 10 months at NWIPC). Plane grounded one hour; medical crew refused to fly him. Habeas granted Feb 13, 2026.
First Eswatini Flight: Five Men Refused to Sign Removal Notices Mid-Flight
Roberto Mosquera Etoria (Jamaican passport, 50 years in U.S.) and four others told they were going to Eswatini only ~30 minutes before landing. All five refused to sign third-country removal notices. Held at Matsapha maximum-security prison. DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin called them ‘uniquely barbaric.’
South Sudan Flight Diverted to Djibouti by Federal Judge
ICE flight of 8 men (Laos, VN, Cuba, Mexico, Myanmar, one S. Sudanese) bound for South Sudan diverted to Djibouti after Judge Murphy ruled they weren’t given adequate opportunity to challenge removal. SCOTUS allowed transfer to proceed late June 2025.
AEA Flights to El Salvador: Two Planes Continue Despite Boasberg TRO
Two planes carrying ~137 Venezuelans under AEA continued to El Salvador despite Boasberg’s oral TRO. A third plane took off after written order, carrying Kilmar Abrego Garcia in violation of his withholding-of-removal order. Administration claimed planes were over international waters; later invoked state secrets privilege.
Colombia Refuses Two U.S. Military Deportation Flights
Colombian President Gustavo Petro refused to allow U.S. military deportation flights to land citing treatment of deportees. Trump threatened 25% tariff escalation. Resolution within 24 hours with Colombia accepting flights but on civilian aircraft. First major diplomatic confrontation over deportation flights.
* Air Carrier Contracts & Operations
6 entriesCSI Aviation: $1.1B in FY2025 ICE Obligations, Tripling From Biden Last Year
CSI Aviation’s ICE revenue: FY2024 $363.9M → FY2025 $1.1B → FY2026 first 5 months $673.4M (ceiling $1.5B). $219M no-bid contract March 2025 for removal flights (extendable to Feb 2026). Founder Allen Weh is retired Marine colonel and former NM GOP chair; corporate director was Trump ‘fake elector.’ Subcontracts with GlobalX (52%), World Atlantic, and previously Avelo.
Avelo Airlines Withdraws from ICE Deportation Operations, Closes Mesa Gateway Base
Avelo Airlines ends 9-month ICE contract effective Jan 27, 2026 after sustained protests at New Haven (Tweed) and Mesa Gateway. Project on Government Oversight reported CSI Aviation’s corporate director was Trump fake elector in NM. DHS announced $140M Daedalus Aviation contract for six Boeing 737 MAX aircraft (possibly the former Avelo planes).
DHS Buys Six Boeing 737 MAX for In-House Deportation Fleet ($140M Daedalus Contract)
December 2025 DHS announced $140M contract with Daedalus Aviation for six Boeing 737 MAX aircraft to operate deportation flights — first significant in-house DHS aviation capability. Online researchers noted aircraft now registered to Daedalus previously belonged to Avelo.
Deportation Flights Hit Record Highs as Carriers Try to Hide Planes
Airlines using dummy call signs and blocking tail numbers from public tracking sites even as flights hit record highs. La Resistencia tracked 59 flights at Boeing Field through August (above 2024’s 42 total). Cartwright (71) handed off Witness at the Border tracking project to Human Rights First in August 2025.
Which Air Carriers Are Positioned to Benefit From Increased Deportations?
GlobalX operated 80% of ICE’s 1,564 removal flights in 2024. Lady Gaga / Bad Bunny tour carrier. Five-year emergency contract from Sept 2023, $65M expected annual revenue. GEO Group and CoreCivic each donated $500K to Trump inaugural committee. GEO’s PAC: $1M to MAGA Inc.
Private Airlines Are Making Billions on Deportations
Investigation into the ICE flight economy. CSI Aviation’s February 2025 contract notice introduced ‘surge capacity’ funding line. OBBBA spending bill removed transparency requirements ICE was already flouting. GlobalX’s ICE contract expected to generate $65M annually.
* Investigative Reporting
9 entries · 6 third-countryAs World Cup Unfolds, Immigrant Rights Organizers Seek a Reckoning over Dallas’ Relationship with ICE
Faith leaders + immigrant rights organizers targeting Dallas’s use of city-owned Love Field for deportation flights through Atlantic Aviation’s hangar. 127 ICE flights this year documented by citizen flight verifiers.
Immigrant Who Was Detained in Louisiana Deported to the DRC
23-year-old queer South American woman held 15 months at Richwood; granted protection from return to home country, then deported to Democratic Republic of Congo two days before magistrate’s release recommendation could be signed.
Billion Dollar Collapse: The Anatomy and Failure of an ICE Detention Center Contract
Camp East Montana is the largest deportation staging facility. Investigation into contracting fraud: subcontractor Disaster Management Group owner Nathan Albers gave $150K+ to GOP in 2025, ties to Trump family.
US/El Salvador: Deportees Forcibly Disappeared
One year after the March 15, 2025 CECOT transfers, HRW documents continued enforced disappearance of dozens of Salvadoran deportees. Habeas petitions filed by relatives with Salvadoran Supreme Court’s Constitutional Chamber in May, August, October 2025 either rejected or unanswered.
The Toll of Trump’s African Deportation Agreements
Long-form investigation. Mosquera Etoria (Jamaican, 50 years in U.S.) held in Matsapha, told he was going to Eswatini 30 minutes before landing. SALC’s Melusi Simelane argues U.S. is ‘particularly targeting weaker democracies’ for the policy.
US/Africa: Expulsion Deals Flout Rights
Documents Eswatini ($5.1M / 160 cap), Rwanda ($7.5M / 250 cap), South Sudan (confirmed holding 7), Ghana (West African nationals, BBC report of Togo dump), Uganda. Highlights that several deportees had been granted fear-based immigration relief in the U.S.
What Are Third-Country Deportations, and Why Is Trump Using Them?
Per Migration Policy Institute’s Muzaffar Chishti: administration has approached at least 58 governments. Leverage: tariff concessions, travel bans, diplomatic restrictions. ‘This is not a strategy that the United States government has used to any significant extent’ (Yale’s Cristina Rodríguez).
The Agreement To Deport Third Country Nationals: Uganda, South Sudan, and Rwanda’s Intentions
Analysis of why East African nations accept third-country deportees: Uganda already hosts ~2M refugees; benefits to Uganda unstated. All three countries have State Department travel advisories (Rwanda Lvl 2, Uganda Lvl 3, S. Sudan Lvl 4).
How to Halt a Deportation Flight
Detailed reconstruction of the Dec 7, 2025 successful halt of Sorio’s Philippine Airlines deportation flight. Tactical blueprint: alert the airline (not ICE) to medical liability, use airport workers and union members as intervention nodes.
* Congressional & GAO Documents
5 entries · 2 third-countryGAO Report: Mismanagement at Camp East Montana — 49 Detention Standard Violations
GAO report on the largest deportation-staging facility: 49 violations of ICE detention standards. Evidence missing or destroyed in Lunas Campos death investigation. TB screening failure caused outbreak. Acquisition Logistics replaced by Amentum Services on $453M sole-source contract.
Deportation Data Project: One Year of Immigration Enforcement Under the Second Trump Administration
FOIA-obtained ICE data analysis: interior deportations following ICE arrest increased 5× from late-2024 baseline to January 2026 peak. Arrests quadrupled. Voluntary departures and returns increased 28×.
Letter to IGs of State & DHS on Third-Country Deportations
Senators and Representatives demand State and DHS Inspectors General investigate third-country deportation policy as ‘unlawful and costly.’ Cites Senate Foreign Relations finding of $40M+ paid to third countries to deport a few hundred people.
Senate Foreign Relations Democratic Staff Report: $32M Spent Deporting Migrants to Third Countries
Democratic staff report: $7.5M each to Rwanda, Equatorial Guinea, Palau (despite Palau accepting no migrants); $5.1M to Eswatini; $4.7M to El Salvador. ‘In some cases paying more than one million dollars per person.’ Notes recipients have well-documented records of corruption, human rights abuses, human trafficking.
Rep. Underwood Detention Oversight Visits: Chicago / Lombard / Bunker Hill, IN
Oversight visits to ICE Chicago FO, Lombard HSI, and Miami Correctional Facility in Bunker Hill IN (housing Illinois detainees post-Midway Blitz). Flight schedule documented: deportation flights three times a week from Gary IN, Indianapolis IN, or Kansas City MO.