2/21/21

By Tom Cartwright

ICE Air Weekly Activity – Week of 15 Feb 2021.

 Week severely impacted by weather. Average daily flights are around 18 and this week the daily flights were M-F, 6, 7, 3, 3, This week there and 18, respectively.

 In a typical week there are 21 removal flights. This week there were only 12.

 In a typical week there are 89 total ICE Air legs. This week there were only 37..

WEEKLY SUMMARY
- 37 Total Flights. Down 58 from last week, and 52 under the last 6-week average.
- 12 Removal (Deportation/Expulsions) – Down 9 from last week, and 9 below the prior 6-week average. To 4 different countries in Latin America the Caribbean.

- Haiti (2), down 5 from prior week to total 13 already for February and significantly above the normal of 2 flights per month. Before and after October flights to Haiti were about 2 per month. In October there were 12 as encounters increased and T-42 enforced. We understand most of the people returned were subject to T-42. In addition to the reportedly approximately 900 Haitians removed by air this week (and 400 last week) there were many also removed by land this week.

- Following intense advocacy it was reported the week before last that flights to Haiti were suspended for the near term. I actually was told by a Congressional office it was flights to the “Caribbean

- Mexico (6), Down 1 last week, and from almost every week. August was 7 per week and August through November stepped up to 9 every week. Flights to 6 different cities this week, and similar to every week: Mexico City (1), Guadalajara (2), Puebla (1), Morelia (1), and Queretaro (1). Flights may have been lower because of the high number to Haiti/

- El Salvador (2), Same as last week. Flights are somewhat erratic with flights over the last 6 weeks of 3,1,4,3,2,2. It should be noted that both flights were coupled with a flight to Ecuador.

- Ecuador (2), up 1 from last week. Alternates between 1 or 2 per week and generally coupled with an El Salvador flight, as they were this week.

- 8 Removal Connects, down 11 from last week and 7 below the last 6-week average and consistent with decrease in removals.

- 10 Removal Returns, down 9 from last week, and 8 below the prior 6-week average and consistent with removal flights.

- 7 Shuffle flights in the US, down 29 from last week, and 28 the last 6-week average.

- NOTEWORTHY THIS WEEK
 The Detainee population decreased 28 last week, as of 12 February. That small decrease follows a decrease over the last month of 1,555. The population decreased to 13,832 and is under half of what it was at the beginning of May.

 Through January, 444,000 asylum seekers have been turned back and expelled under the illegal CDC order (title 42) since mid-March, 62,000 alone in January, or 83% of all encounters, down from the T-42 average of 90%. Yes, Encounters were up 6%, or just over 5,000 but it is no way representative of a “Biden” surge.

 9,512 detainees have tested positive for COVID, up this week by 101. Testing increased last week by 4,307 to 100,274 on a cumulative basis, so the positivity rate was around 10 There are 463 detainees in isolation of under monitoring, down from last week.

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.