Flights related to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) deportations from Los Angeles area airports have surged dramatically, more than doubling in the month leading up to recent raids. This uptick comes as ICE ramps up its activities in Southern California, including a significant operation on June 6 in the Fashion District, resulting in the arrest of 330 individuals by June 11.
ICE has not disclosed many specifics about those detained or their subsequent flights, citing security reasons. An ICE spokesperson explained that the agency coordinates removal travel through its Air Operations division, which is based in Mesa, Arizona. These flights utilize both commercial airlines and ICE charter aircraft.
Tom Cartwright, a volunteer immigration advocate, has been tracking ICE flights for five years and has compiled data on approximately 36,000 flights. His analysis reveals that nearly 70% of deportation-related flights from the Los Angeles region have been departing from the Southern California Logistics Airport in Victorville, which is located near the Adelanto ICE Processing Center. This airport allows charter airlines to conduct unscheduled private flights, but local officials cannot confirm ICE-related activity due to a lack of tracked flight details.
Other airports in the Los Angeles area, including Burbank International and Meadows Field in Bakersfield, have also been reported as departure points for ICE flights. Since the June raids began, about 25% of these flights have gone directly to Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport, with a significant number heading to El Paso, Texas, where some detainees are reportedly being held.
ICE Air Operations, in addition to its Mesa headquarters, also operates from Miami, Alexandria, Louisiana, and San Antonio and Brownsville, Texas. Flights can make multiple stops throughout the day, both domestically and internationally. However, tracking the exact routes and stops of these flights is challenging due to limitations in publicly available data.
From January 1 to May of this year, ICE conducted 685 deportation flights to over 30 international destinations, similar to the same period last year. The agency confirmed that it regularly transports deportees to Central American countries, including Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras, as well as to other locations for specific missions.
Reports indicate that planes leaving Victorville have made stops in cities such as Las Vegas and Salt Lake City, with international destinations including San Juan, Puerto Rico; San Pedro Sula, Honduras; Tapachula, Mexico; Guatemala City; and various locations in the Dominican Republic. This increased activity has raised concerns among local communities, with many feeling the impact of the heightened enforcement actions.