11/14/20

By Tom Cartwright

DEATH FLIGHTS - WEEK OF 9 November – please share for transparency

HURRICANE AND HATE COLLIDE

Ø 25 DEPORTATION FLIGHTS IN SPITE OF 4-5 FEWER BECAUSE THERE WERE NO FLIGHTS TO HONDURAS AS IT WAS DEVASTATED BY HURRICANE “Eta” AND “Iota” MAY BE ON THE WAY.

Ø 9 DIFFERENT COUNTRIES. 3 IN AFRICA: CAMEROON, DR CONGO AND ANGOLA

Ø 99 TOTAL FLIGHTS

WEEKLY SUMMARY

- 99 Total Flights. Up 10 from last week, and 5 above the last 6-week average of 94

- 25 Deportations – Up 4 from last week, and 3 below prior 6-week average. Second week of no flights to Honduras because of Hurricane Eta when usually 4-5. To 6 different countries in Latin America and the Caribbean and 3 in Africa.

- Honduras (0), No flights to Honduras because of Eta. This may be more because the airport is flooded and less because ICE cares about humanitarian concerns. See Guatemala below. For at least 3 months before now there were never more that 4 per week, but for the last few months at 4-5 per week. We will have to watch closely next week since often the flights bunch up at the end of the week.

Ø 1.8 million people in Honduras have been affected by Eta, which was the worst natural disaster in Central America since Hurricane Mitch in 1998. It was one of the most destructive storms there ever recorded. 37,000 Hondurans are in shelters and 153,000 hectares of crops have been damaged or destroyed. 640,000 people in Guatemala have been impacted with 10,000 in shelters . Here is a detailed update form the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

Ø For years after Mitch there was a significant migration North and many believe it is highly likely that we will start to see this soon. People have not only lost hope, but all their belongings and their source of their livelihood. Climate migration will be a powerful future force and it is here now.

- Guatemala (5), same as last week and in line with a typical week. However, on Wednesday the President of Guatemala asked the US to suspend deportations and offer Guatemalans in the US Temporary Protected Status for humanitarian reasons because of Eta. How did ICE respond? With 2 deportation flights on Thursday and 1 on Friday. That speaks volumes to the void of humanitarian concern of ICE and this administration.

- Africa (3 countries): On Wednesday the 11th an Omni Air charter left Alliance airport in Dallas for a deportation flight to 3 countries in Africa. This route to Africa seems now to be on a monthly schedule and we have heard the possibilities of another flight next month. This flight deported people again to Cameroon, DR Congo and added an additional stop in Angola. As reported in the past all of these people will be in imminent danger upon arrival of jail, or worse. Many have, and will, go into hiding.

- 35 HOURS – From takeoff to landing in Angola. People never left the plane. People were in 5 point (hands and feet to the waist) shackles the entire way making going to the toilet and even eating a significant challenge. And worse yet, stripping any shred of dignity away from our brothers and sisters on this flight. Once again, many Members of Congress pleaded forcefully with ICE and the State Department to stop this flight at the behest of many, many advocates. Once again, they were rebuffed with impunity. Here is my twitter thread with more on the flight. Plane in photo is this plane thanks to North Texas Dream Team.

- Mexico (9), Same as last week and typical of almost every week over the last three months. August was 7 per week and August and September stepped up to 9. Flights to 6 different cities this week, and similar to every week: Mexico City (2), Guadalajara (2), Puebla (1), Morelia (1), Villahermosa (1), and Queretaro (2).

- El Salvador (4), Up 2 from last week and the first time since the pandemic began that there has been this many in one week. For many months flights to El Salvador have alternating between 1 – 2 per week. This week I assume ICE is making up for the lack of flights to Honduras by stepping up flights here. 3 were on Friday and 2 of those were coupled with flights to Ecuador.

- Haiti (1), same as last 2 weeks and run rate significantly below the 12 flights in October. Before August there were 2 flights per month and in August and September there were 3 each month. Not sure why it dropped, but we understand many on these flights are T-42 expulsions and those are dependent on the number of people crossing. Watching closely for any escalation.

- Ecuador (2), up 1 this week and the same as 5 of the 7 prior weeks. These flights had been coupled regularly recently with Honduran flights. This week both were coupled with El Salvador flights on Friday.

- Nicaragua (1), continues to alternate now about every other week.

- 14 Deportation US Connections, up 5 from last week, and 2 below recent 6-week average of 16.

- 19 Deportation Returns, same as last week, and up 2 from the prior 6 week average and consistent level of deportations.

- 41 Shuffle flights in the US, up 1 from last week, and up 1 from the last 6-week average.

Ø NOTEWORTHY THIS WEEK

Ø The Detainee population dropped 295 this week, less than last week’s drop of 641, and the drops of the 2 prior weeks of 728 and 545. The population of 17,163 is under half of what it was at the end of February. The 4 -week drop has been about 2,200. The combined August / September drop was only about 1,800.

Ø Through September, 205,000 asylum seekers have been turned back and expelled under the illegal CDC order (title 42) since mid-March, 48,300 alone in September, up 5,500 from August.

Ø Almost 9,000 unaccompanied children have been expelled into danger alone since mid-March

- It has been reported by CBP that the few that may not qualify to be expelled, some not from Mexico or Northern Triangle Countries, are still being enrolled in MPP. We understand around 1,000 in September.

Ø 7,202 detainees have tested positive for COVID, up this week by 118 or 2%. Testing increased last week by 2,648 to 59,856 on a cumulative basis, so the positivity rate was around 12%. This level is typical. There are 366 detainees in isolation of under monitoring, up slightly by 22 from last week.

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Note: ICE Air does not disclose their flights. Flight listing gleaned from public flight information, knowledge of detention center locations, air charter services and historic patterns. In rare cases, there may be a flight we miss, or include in error.