4/22/20
By Tom Cartwright
DEATH FLIGHTS – 22 APRIL 2020
Ø Our deportation of COVID and hate continued today with the 8 flights as listed below. Fewer than yesterday’s 17, but still a great deal of shuffling around the US. Guatemala flights are still suspended.
Ø ICE detainees dropped again this week by about 1,500 to 30,737. The detainee population is dropping because people continue to be deported and those fleeing danger and violence are being flash returned under the CDC Order with zero opportunity to request asylum, or, effectively request any protected status. So far, over 11,000 people have been expelled, most by land as we understand, under the Order, including an estimated 400 unaccompanied children.
Ø So, deportation by air is only part of the story. One state in Mexico, Tampaulipus, reports 100 deportations per day by land. In Reynosa, on the border across from McAllen, TX, it was recently reported that 16 migrants with COVID were repatriated or deported (6 from Honduras; 3 from Cuba; 1 from Guatemala; 1 from Cameroon and 1 unknown).
- 15 of the 16 contracted the virus at a Nuevo Laredo shelter after one was deported with COVID from a Texas facility. The other man was held in Atlanta.
- As a result, Tampaulipus is asking the Government for a number of things to support the migrants and for Mexico to only accept Mexican nationals.
- A significant worry is that no one will provide support. Then, once again, the US officials will be absolutely culpable, but will be blind to the deadly results.
Ø In addition to the 50 Guatemalans deported with COVID we mentioned yesterday, we also deported 3 Haitians with COVID a few weeks ago. That may seem like a small number small but at that time there were only 57 cases in the entire country – the poorest in our Hemisphere and totally unprepared for a medical emergency.
Ø Sunday, a Swift Air (ICE Air provider) plane used for deportations flew to Brazil ostensibly on other business. One stop, perhaps for fuel, was in Manaus, Brazil. AP recently reported that this city is ravaged with COVID. The city of 2.2 million had almost 37,000 reported (and suspected many more non-reported) cases and hospitals were overwhelmed. Deportation flight or not, the risk of picking up COVID in such a hotbed shows a willing disregard for the risk of seeding and spreading COVID.
Ø The spread of COVID in detention centers continues to accelerate and is most likely significantly underreported because of lack of testing.
- As of 21 April, ICE reported performing 425 tests, 1.3 % of the average population of about 32,000. Of those tested, 287, or 68%, have tested positive. Imagine what these numbers would be with more extensive testing.
With this as a backdrop, here are today’s ICE Air flights:
- ALEXANDRIA (LA) to MINNEAPOLIS
- MINNEAPOLIS to OMAHA
- OMAHA to KANSAS CITY
- KANSAS CITY to BROWNSVILLE
- BROWNSVILLE TO ALEXANDRIA (LA)
- PHOENIX to EL PASO
- EL PASO to HONDURAS
- HONDURAS to PHOENIX
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.