ICE conducts single adult, family unit removal flights Nov. 15

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 Nov. 11 and Nov. 15.

Those included removal flights to Central America, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, and Mexico. 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.

Since the Presidential Proclamation and Interim Final Rule went into effect on June 5, through the end of October, DHS has removed or returned more than 216,000 individuals to more than 160 countries, not including repatriations of people encountered at airports or the northern border. ICE ERO has operated more than 660 international repatriation flights in that period, while DHS has tripled the percentage of southwest border encounters processed for expedited removal. Overall, preliminary data show that DHS completed over 700,000 removals and returns in fiscal year 2024, more than any prior fiscal year since 2010. That included more removals to countries other than Mexico than in any prior year ever. DHS has also reduced the time it takes to remove individuals who do not establish a legal basis to remain in the United States by more than half from its historical average.

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 2023, ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations conducted 142,580 removals and 62,545 Title 42 expulsions to more than 170 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.