ICE conducts single adult, family unit removal flights Dec. 20

WASHINGTON — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, a component agency of the Department of Homeland Security, working in close coordination across the department, including with U.S. Customs and Border Protection, continued to facilitate removal flights of single adults and family units between Dec. 16 – Dec. 20.

Those included removal flights to Brazil, Central America, Colombia, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, Haiti, Jamaica, Mexico, and Peru. If a noncitizen arrives and has no legal basis to remain in the United States, they are processed and removed quickly, consistent with U.S. law.

In keeping with standard practice, the United States ensures that all noncitizens without a legal basis to remain in the United States are properly screened for valid protection claims and withholding of removal in accordance with our laws and U.S. international obligations. This applies to all noncitizens, regardless of nationality, to ensure the orderly and humane processing, transfer and removal of single adults and family units.

Noncitizens placed into removal proceedings present their claims for relief or protection from removal before 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 2024, ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations conducted 271,484 removals to more than 192 countries worldwide.

B-roll for removal flights is available here. 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.