5/22/20
By Tom Cartwright
DEATH FLIGHTS – 22 May 2020
PANDEMIC DEEPENS AROUND THE WORLD AND ICE AIR ACCELERATES EXPORTATION OF COVID THIS WEEK
TODAY:
23 flights today – 7 Deportations – Mexico (2), Honduras (2), Guatemala (2), El Salvador (1), Honduras (2). 6 US Deportation Connections. 6 Deportation returns. 4 Shuffle flights in US.
WEEKLY SUMMARY:
- 95 Flights – most in last 5 weeks. Next highest was 72
- 17 Deportations– most in last 5 weeks. Next highest was 13. Honduras (6), Mexico (4), El Salvador (2), Guatemala (2), Dominican (1), Nicaragua (1), Ecuador (1).
- 14 Deportation US Connections
- 16 Deportation Returns
- 47 Shuffle flights in the US – most in last 5 weeks. Next highest was 40.
It is hard to believe that ICE Air accelerated both deportation and shuffle flights in the US this past week given the raging COVID spread in detention centers and the breathtaking COVID increases in International destination cities. And we should be very clear that ICE Air has no idea how much COVID they are seeding and spreading. Testing rates are abysmal. Only 340 detainees were tested last week. At a conservative estimate of 50 detainees per deportation flight (1/2 plane capacity) we would have deported 850 people last week. And that says nothing of the 26,600 detainees in detention centers. So, it is crystal clear the US is NOT testing deportees.
Today Mark Morgan tweeted something that perhaps gets him through the night, but starkly shows the depth of the evil that underpins every immigration policy of this administration. The ability to lie with alacrity and assume we are all stupid enough to accept the explanation is revolting.
“Although migration is divisive, #COVID19 offers common ground with NGOs on necessary measures and practices such as expulsions and return flights that benefit migrants, shelters, border communities, hospitals, CBP & partners from @gobmx .” -Mark Morgan
This is beyond words.
Ø As we reported earlier this week, expulsion flights to Mexico City began this week with 4 flights of people expelled under the CDC order. Over 100 per plane. Today we saw flights that dissected our southern border from Brownsville El Paso to Phoenix to San Diego collecting and expelling migrants to Mexico City. That’s 400 people we are adding to what is, by most reporting, a dramatically accelerating COVID tragedy. Reporting recounts full hospitals with ambulances travelling around the city from hospital to hospital to find open beds. Low levels of PPE. And a death toll rapidly increasing and likely 3x what has been officially reported. Testing is virtually non-existent, by choice, not necessity.
- So, this is the week the US begins to deport non-tested (impossible based on tests numbers as reported by ICE) to Mexico City?? And, moreover, it is also the week that the Mexican Government under AMLO has passively allowed it to happen. Both parties are culpable and both are contributing to death.
Ø Today we witnessed a deportation flight to Guatemala. A flight of 22 unaccompanied minors based on a report of Jeff Abbott. It is unclear if this was a “humanitarian (exception)” flight as was Monday’s with 8 unaccompanied children, or of this is a restart of regular deportation flights to Guatemala and after a pause was put on this week by the Guatemalan Government following more US COVID deportation. New processes were to be worked out with the CDC. As we reported yesterday the Guatemalan President yesterday had some harsh words for the US and the US Embassy then responded with a bit of a rebuttal be listing all the assistance provided by the US.
- The situation in Guatemala is dire as well as is described in the Guardian by Jeff Abbott.At least the President Giammattei has been trying to stand up in some ways to US attempts to export COVID by requiring testing and pausing when ICE Air fails. We will witness next week if regular flights resume. We have not yet seen an official communication posted by the Guatemalan Foreign Ministry, and of course ICE is mute.
Ø 1,201 detainees have tested positive for COVID, up 20 today. 2,394 have been tested, up a meager 26 today. 50% of those tested have been positive for COVID.
Here are the flights for today. The number behind the leg indicates a single individual planes path.
- ALEXANDRIA (LA) – PHOENIX – 1
- PHOENIX to GUATEMALA – 1
- GUATEMALA to ALEXANDRI (LA) – 1
- BROWNSVILLE to GARY – 2
- GARY to ALEXANDRIA (LA) – 2
- ALEXANDRIA (LA) to BROWNSVILLE – 2
- PHOENIX to EL PASO – 3
- EL PASO to BROWNSVILLE – 3
- BROWNSVILLE to HONDURAS – 3
- HONDURAS to ECUADOR – 3
- ECUADOR to BROWNSVILLE – 3
- SAN ANTONIO to PHOENIX – 4
- PHOENIX to HONDURAS – 4
- HONDURAS to AN ANTONIO – 4
- PHOENIX to ALEXANDRIA (LA) – 5