Flights related to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) deportations from Los Angeles area airports surged more than double in the month leading up to recent events. This increase coincided with a ramp-up in ICE operations in the region, including several high-profile raids. One such raid took place on June 6 in the Fashion District, leading to the arrest of 330 individuals by June 11, according to the White House. Many of those detained were flown out of the area, although ICE has not disclosed specific details about the individuals involved.
An ICE spokesperson explained that the agency does not share information about future flights for security reasons. They coordinate deportation travel through ICE Air Operations, based in Mesa, Arizona, using both commercial airlines and 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 shows that since the recent raids began, nearly 70% of deportation flights from the Los Angeles area have taken off from the Southern California Logistics Airport in Victorville, which is located near the Adelanto ICE Processing Center. However, the city of Victorville cannot confirm ICE-related activities since flight details are not monitored.
Reports indicate that flights have also departed from other airports in the Los Angeles area, including Burbank International and Meadows Field in Bakersfield. A significant portion of these flights—about a quarter—has been heading directly to Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport, while approximately 20% are directed to El Paso, where some detainees are reportedly being held.
ICE Air Operations has its main office in Miami and operates from several other locations, including Alexandria, Louisiana, and San Antonio and Brownsville, Texas. Charter planes used for deportations can make multiple stops throughout the day, both domestically and internationally. However, tracking the specific routes and stops of these flights is challenging due to the lack of publicly available data.
From January through May, ICE conducted 685 deportation flights to over 30 international destinations. This number is roughly consistent with the same timeframe last year. ICE confirmed that it regularly sends deportees to Central American countries like Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras, as well as to other regions for specific high-risk missions.
In addition to the flights from Victorville, some planes have made stops in cities like Las Vegas and Salt Lake City, with international destinations including San Juan, Puerto Rico, and various locations in Central America and the Caribbean. The surge in deportation flights comes amid heightened scrutiny and public concern regarding ICE’s operations and their impact on communities in the Los Angeles area.