5/1/20

By Tom Cartwright

DEATH FLIGHTS – 1 May 2020

6 FLIGHTS

Ø These are not just airplanes and statistics. They are people. They are families of loving men, women and children. It is easy, even for those of us that have witnessed the boarding of these flying boxcars of our generation and who have literally mourned their passing into the clouds to lose sight of that. To count the planes, the routes, to record the departure and destination locations.

- One of my most vivid memories of witnessing the boarding of a deportation flight in Brownsville was of my good friend and 82 year-old warrior Fran Schindler who was witnessing with me. As each person struggled up the steps in their shackles and with their heads bowed low she counted each one. And the longer she counted the more the tears flowed and soon she was trembling pressed against the chain fence. I told her she could take a break – that it was ok. She would not. You see, she was not counting for a tally. She told me she was counting so that she could remember each individual and so that they were accounted for in her mind as a person who was loved. She counted every one of the 92 that were sent away to danger that day. Some of Fran went with every one of them. That is why we witness.

Ø Today was a slow day for ICE Air. A deportation flight to El Salvador and more shuffling around the US. Since ICE discloses nothing we can only question why. Are they trying to organize their new testing protocol which is to test 2,000 per month; still only 7% of the detainee population? Positioning for a big day Monday? Are more countries beyond Guatemala pushing back to require testing of all those of flights? We don’t know, but that’s why we witness.

Ø COVID continues to spread in detention centers, and therefore to deportation countries. As of today, 522 have tested positive, up 32 from yesterday. The number tested increased to by 43 to 1,073. So, of those tested, 49% have been positive. It does appear that only symptomatic people are being tested, with the exception perhaps of those deported yesterday to Guatemala since they would only accept those tested and negative.

Ø Difficulties, danger and challenges do not stop when they land. Many will face even more difficult times. The Kino Border Initiatives prepares some simple and brief material that they try to get to detainees to let them know what they might experience if deported based on the deportation country. Note El Salvador has 45 days of confinement upon return. We share it now with you for a more complete picture.

HONDURAS
1) If people arrive in San Pedro Sula:
- Adults arrive at the Returned Migrants Service Center. There they do a medical check-up to see if they have symptoms, and if they do not have symptoms, they issue them a permit to travel for a day, to get home, and they have 3 options: a) Take them to the SPS-enabled shelter (a former warehouse ), there they can be quarantined; b) they can get a taxi at the airport (they say some taxis are coming); c) A bus will drop you off at the center of San Pedro. But they no longer offer the three bus routes that were a few days ago. Some organizations are organizing to get help.

- Families and unaccompanied minors arrive at the Centro Belén - it has always been like this. There the procedure is similar, they do a medical checkup to see if they have symptoms, from what they have said, so far no one has come with symptoms. The Center has a shelter, and when they cannot leave immediately or if they are unaccompanied minors, while they wait for them to go look for them, they stay there.

- It seems that there are already UNHCR officers at CARM and in Bethlehem, to deal with cases officials identify with protection needs.

2) If people arrive in Tegucigalpa: here it is mandatory to spend the 15 days of quarantine. Until now the hostel was in a sports center. But they are supposedly enabling another space with more conditions, or so they have announced. So far, only flights have come from Mexico to Tegucigalpa, but could also come from the United States.

The rest of the points remain, the confinement measures and curfews were expanded again as it is now. The situation in the communities has worsened, however, because the economic impact on families is beginning to be felt strongly.

GUATEMALA. Deportations to Guatemala are supposed to have stopped. On the last flights, they set up a hostel near the airport to monitor people as they went home (they don't get tested, just monitor for symptoms). Some organizations told us that they were 2-3 days there. Some communities continue to oppose the returnees. According to some media, especially the municipalities of the north and west of the country. Although there are also positive examples from communities that knew how to organize the safe return of the deportees to their communities (some example in Ixcan, Quiche). The curfew decreased slightly, it is from 6:00 pm to 4:00 am the next day. The prohibition of traveling between departments is in the following: Guatemala, Sacatepéquez, Chimaltenango and El Progreso.

El Salvador. We have not registered any relevant news in this context. The deported people go to the authorized shelters, and must spend 45 days in confinement. They are not tested either. Here is an article about the conditions there: https://www.laprensagrafica.com/elsalvador/Deportados-amenecen-inundados-en-cuarentena-20200427-0085.html

Here are the flights for today. The number behind the leg indicates a single individual planes path.

- BROWNSVILLE to GARY -1

- GARY to ALEXANDRIA – 1

- ALEXANDRIA to BROWNSVILLE – 1

- EL PASO to ALEXANDRIA – 2

- ALEXANDRIA to EL SALVADOR – 2

- EL SALVADOR to PHOENIX - 2

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.