3/22/21

By Tom Cartwright

ICE Air Weekly Activity – Week of 15 March 2021. (photo Reuters)

 Removal flights at 9 at extremely low level. Lowest since the week of 26 April 2020 at 6.

 Dramatic change with no flights to Mexico. First time there have been no flights since May 2020. In January 237 flights, In February 24. We have a question to ICE to see if that was a US or MX decision. All it means is that more are expelled by land across the border.

 Domestic shuffle flights still elevated at 64, of which 31, almost half were related to the “lateral” flights from Brownsville to El Paso and San Diego each day (including weekends), some of which originated in San Antonio.

 Although initially the implication seemed to be to shelters in El Paso that the 270 people a day on the 2 flights were going to be released to them, we were always suspicious of that conclusion. It appears that some of the people on those planes are being expelled into MX from El Paso and SanDiego. Especially worrisome is if families are flown there for expulsion because MX won’t receive them in Tamaulipas, but will in Chihuahua.

 We have seen 10 likely flights moving unaccompanied children from overcrowded CBP stations to the Dallas Convention Center. They are not in these totals as we do not consider them in the same category as ICE Air.

WEEKLY SUMMARY

- 85 Total Flights. Down 13 from last week, and 8 above the last 6-week average.

- 9 Removal (Deportation/Expulsions) – Down 3 from last week, and 7 below the prior 6-week average. To 7 different countries in Latin America the Caribbean.

- Haiti (1), down 3 from the prior week. The 5th prior week there were 7. There was a total of 14 for February, significantly above normal. 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 1000 Haitians removed by air). The decrease in crossings appears to have been reversed recently.

- Mexico (0), This is a dramatic change. In June there were 24 flights and then from July through Jan between 30 and 40. From Sept through Jan there were about 9 flights per week to 6 different cities, and similar to every week: Mexico City (2), Guadalajara (2), Puebla (1), Morelia (1), Villahermosa (1), and Queretaro (2). We have question pending with ICE about the reduction.

- El Salvador (1), Same as last week, and down from the 3-4 of prior weeks. It should be noted that this flight was coupled with flight to Guatemala.