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From Breitbart: The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) filed a lawsuit against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on Monday seeking information about how the agency might execute President-elect Donald Trump’s plans for a mass deportation program of illegal migrants.
The ACLU is suing the agency to obtain clues about ICE Air Operations, the network of chartered flights used to repatriate thousands of illegal migrants every year after they’ve been ordered deported.
The ACLU says it aims to shed light on how such operation could be rapidly expanded to fulfill Trump’s pledge for mass deportations upon entering office and how the U.S. military could be involved.
In a press release on Monday, the ACLU wrote:
The American Civil Liberties Union, American Civil Liberties Union Foundation of Southern California, and Mayer Brown LLP today filed a lawsuit against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to obtain records revealing how ICE Air Operations – the network of for-profit, commercial, and privately chartered deportation flights run by ICE – could be expanded to carry out a mass deportation and detention program. The lawsuit was filed after ICE failed to respond to a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request submitted by ACLU SoCal in August 2024. The litigation comes on the heels of comments made by President-elect Donald Trump reiterating his promise to launch the largest deportation program in American history on day one of his second term.
In 2023 alone, planes chartered by ICE Air Operations deported more than 140,000 people. Flights chartered by ICE are also used to transport people between ICE detention facilities across the country. Immigrants’ rights advocates have continuously raised concerns that ICE’s infrastructure, including its air operations network, could be expanded to assist the Trump administration in its efforts to deport more than 11 million people from the United States.
The lawsuit, ACLU of Southern California Foundation v. ICE, was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, and demands that ICE immediately turn over the requested records to ACLU SoCal, which include:
- All ICE contracts and records regarding air transportation to execute removals, including flights leaving the United States and domestic flights to transport noncitizens in between detention sites to stage for removals.
- Documents containing information on what ground transportation is used to transfer noncitizens to airports for removal flights.
- Records sufficient to show the airfields ICE uses, or has access to, for removal.
- Memoranda and other guidance regarding ICE’s policies or procedures for staging noncitizens, including unaccompanied noncitizen children, for removal prior to flights.
“Little is known about how President-elect Trump would carry out its mass deportation agenda, but what we do know is that this proposal has already instilled fear among immigrant communities,” said Eva Bitran, director of immigrants’ rights at ACLU SoCal. “The public has a right to know how its taxpayer dollars could be used to fund deportation flights that would tear apart not only families, but also our communities.”
The ACLU is suing ICE for records that would give details on how its air travel infrastructure could be expanded to facilitate Trump’s plans for mass detentions and deportations.
It notes in 2023 alone, planes chartered by ICE Air Operations deported more than 140,000 people.
— Jennifer Bendery (@jbendery) November 18, 2024
Last week, the ACLU of NH announced, “President-elect Donald Trump has promised to target immigrant communities on day one. Join us in calling on Congress to cut funding to the DHS immigration enforcement and protect immigrant communities.”
President-elect Donald Trump has promised to target immigrant communities on day one. Join us in calling on Congress to cut funding to the DHS immigration enforcement and protect immigrant communities. https://t.co/S4T8HEGNGF
— ACLU of New Hampshire (@ACLU_NH) November 14, 2024
One social media user suggested, “Trump ICE, find the address of these attorneys & ACLU advocates. Buy a house in their neighborhood and transport MS13, Tren de Aragua to these residents – do this all over the country especially sanctuary cities. This will be cheaper than deportation… problem solved.”
Trump ICE, find the address of these attorneys & ACLU advocates. Buy a house in their neighborhood and transport MS13, Tren de Aragua to these residents – do this all over the country especially sanctuary cities. This will be cheaper than deportation… problem solved. pic.twitter.com/7usVcFCMdc
— @JosephGilleland 🇮🇱 (@josephgilleland) November 16, 2024
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