6/6/21

By Tom Cartwright

ICE Air Weekly Activity – Week of 31 May 2021. (photo – the growing migrant camp in Reynosa MX. Migration continues. Close 1 camp in Matamoros and another arises 30 miles away at a Port of Entry.)

 8 removal flights this week were the lowest since 8 the week of 12 April. Only 6 countries and to be transparent one to Guyana could have been a fuel stop on the way to Brazil, but we included in the removal count.

 65 total flights was the lowest number since the 58 the week of 1 March, the week before the 14 per week lateral flights began.

 Friday 7 May was the last of the lateral flights to date with one from Yuma to El Paso. Thursday, 6 May was the last lateral flight from Brownsville to San Diego. Lateral flights are still suspended.

 The busses from the Rio Grande Valley with 250-350 people per day to the processing center in Laredo have now been suspended and replaced by busseng from the Del Rio sector to Laredo because of larger encounters there.

 Over the last 12 weeks through 21 May, we have seen over 200 likely flights moving unaccompanied children from overcrowded CBP stations to the new EIS and influx centers and to possible ORR shelters. Importantly, at first these flights were all INTO EIS locations, but that is now reversing and we are seeing more OUT of EIS locations to other locations around the US. THEY ARE NOT IN THESE TOTALS as we do not consider them in the same category as ICE Air.

WEEKLY SUMMARY

- 65 Total Flights. Down 8 from last week, and 31 below the last 6-week average.

- 8 Removal (Deportation/Expulsions) – Down 4 from last week, and 3 below the prior 6-week average. To 6 different countries in Latin and South America, and the Caribbean.

- 4 connection flights. Down 3 from last week, and 2 below the prior 6-week average.

- 6 return flights. Down 1 from last week and 2 below the prior 6-week average, consistent with removal flights.

- 47 Shuffle flights. Same as last week and 25 below the prior 6-week average. The new lower level is consistent with the lower removal flights and the suspension of the lateral flights, but it still represents a significant number of moves around detention centers.

- Haiti (0), Noting the second week in a row without a flight following TPS designation. It has not been since mid-July that there were 2 weeks in a row without a flight to Haiti.

- TPS for Haitians in the US was extremely welcome news today as announced by Sec. Mayorkas. It will protect 150,000 Haitians in the US from deportation to the dangers of Haiti for at least 18 months. Thanks to Guerline Josef and the Haitian Bridge Alliance and other advocates for their tireless advocacy.

- Mexico (2), Same as last 9 weeks, and 1/4 the run rate up until 2 months ago. Return cities were Villahermosa and Mexico City, same as last 8 weeks. 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). CBP refuses to answer our inquiry about the drop. Many more Mexican Nationals are being expelled by land now, since at times over 4,000 more were returned by air.

- El Salvador (1), same as last 5 weeks and the same as 8 of last 9 weeks. Points to deportations only…not T42.

- Guatemala (0), down from last week and the first time in 5 weeks that there was not a flight.

- Ecuador (1), down 1 from last week, and follows a pattern over the last 2 months of 1 or 2 per week. The flight was coupled with a Honduras flights as has been typical.

- Honduras (2), down 1 from last week, and now seems to be alternating between 2 or 3 per week. One was coupled with flights to Ecuador.

- Brazil (1), up 1 from last week and the same as week before last. Interestingly, the last flight before that was the last week of November.

- Guyana (1), up 1 from last week same as two weeks ago. Coupled with Brazil flight. As noted above, it is possible this was just a fuel stop on the way to Brazil.

- Columbia (1), up 1 from last week and in the pattern of 1 about every 4 weeks.

- NOTEWORTHY THIS WEEK

 Through April, 754,645 asylum seekers have been turned back and expelled under the illegal CDC order (title 42) since mid-March 2020, with 111,714 alone in April, or 63% of all encounters, down from the T-42 average of 75% (March2020-April 2021).

 The Detainee population increased 967.. The population has increased around 10,000 (56%) since 26 February after falling steadily since over the last year. The population increased to 23,107, the highest level since 24 June, 2020. Book ins are up substantially.

 40,336 people have been deported this fiscal year (beginning Oct 1,2020), 1,773 the two weeks ending 22 May. The pace is fairly steady at around 3,300 deportations per month.

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.