ICE conducts single adult, family unit removal flights Sept. 22

WASHINGTON — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), in coordination with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection, facilitated multiple removal flights, including single adults and family units to Central America, Ecuador, Colombia, Nicaragua, Cuba, Guinea, Nigeria and Peru as part of dozens of other routine ICE removal flights conducted throughout the hemisphere and around the world — all entered the United States in 2023 and were apprehended along the Southwest border. Since May 2023, DHS has removed or returned more than 250,000 individuals, including more than 36,000 individual family unit members.

Individuals who lack a lawful basis to stay in the United States are ordered removed, consistent with U.S. law – all individuals who are removed have been screened for protection concerns. This policy applies to all noncitizens regardless of nationality to ensure the orderly and humane processing, transfer, and removal of single adults, family units, and others determined to be removeable.

Noncitizens placed into removal proceedings receive their due process from immigration judges in the immigration courts, which are administered by the Justice Department’s Executive Office for Immigration Review. Due to operational security reasons, ICE does not confirm or discuss future or pending transportation operations.

ICE Air Operations facilitates the transfer and removal of noncitizens, including family units, via commercial airlines and chartered flights in support of ICE field offices and other DHS initiatives. In fiscal year 2022, ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations conducted 72,177 removals to more than 150 countries worldwide.

B-roll for removal flights is available on DVIDS. DHS has made additional videos available to the public and the media including b-roll footage of removal flights, a public service announcement, and testimonials from migrants who have been removed.