With their gaze lost in the sky, at a slow pace and with their hands and feet chained, dozens of migrants, originally from Guatemala, left Thursday for their native country on a removal flight directed by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency (ICE). , after being detained and prosecuted by the Border Patrol for violating immigration laws by entering the United States illegally.
Given the completion of Title 42, ICE removals have accelerated in recent days throughout the country in order to vacate the processing centers and make room for the avalanche of new migrants who managed to pass before the date set for the end of the health emergency that expired yesterday Thursday at 9:59 local time. Foreigners from Colombia, Cuba and Honduras have also been deported.
At dawn yesterday, three white trucks full of migrants arrived at the El Paso International Airport air terminal to process the expulsion process for the Guatemalans.
In total, 127 migrants were expelled, including 12 women. Curiously, a man’s chains were removed and he was put back on the bus without any details of the event being disclosed.
“ICE continues to enforce the immigration laws of the United States by working collaboratively with other DHS agencies and in accordance with Title 8 authorities, to facilitate the safe, orderly, and humane processing of immigrants, including expedited processing and removal of people without a legal basis to remain in the country,” said Corey A. Price, executive associate director of Enforcement and Removal Operations.
The United States has a longstanding policy of expelling foreign nationals who lack a legal basis for remaining in the United States. This policy applies to all non-citizens regardless of nationality.
According to the authorities, the strategy of expulsions through flights on commercial airlines, and ground transportation for escorted and unescorted removals, is part of the dozens of flights carried out every week. Thousands of migrants were removed, expelled, or left voluntarily.
At least six Border Patrol agents, supported by ICE Air Operations (ERO) personnel participated in facilitating the boarding process and ensured the safety, protection, and well-being of foreigners who were returned to their country of origin. With this, personnel on board ERO guarantee the protection of the health and safety of foreigners and officials during removal flights, it was said.
During the trip, the migrants remain chained in order to ensure the safety of themselves, contractors and ICE personnel. “We must take precautions to avoid a possible rebellion by migrants,” said Leticia Zamarripa, ICE spokesperson, after adding that the migrants are provided a meal on the direct trip to Guatemala City, which lasts approximately 4 hours.
Despite the end of the public health measure known as Title 42, which went into effect yesterday at midnight, the federal agency will continue to repatriate ineligible immigrants. It was said that an average of 66 repatriation flights are carried out weekly to the Northern Triangle of Central America and other countries located in South America and the Caribbean.
Yesterday and shortly before the first plane bound for Guatemala took off, another six trucks arrived, three owned by ICE and three owned by private companies, transporting more than 250 migrants to be transferred to other cities, in order to relieve the detention centers. processing, located in this city. Two aircraft were used for this purpose.
“What we are looking for is to transfer these migrants to accommodate the new ones that are arriving at the border and have spaces available,” said Zamarripa.
On Wednesday morning, two of these charter flights also left this airport for Guatemala City and San Pedro Sula, Honduras, with 116 and 112 migrants respectively. The detainees in Border Patrol custody had been recently detained and were released once they landed in their home countries.
In a press release, it was said that ICE Air Operations facilitates the transfer and removal of non-citizens via commercial airlines and chartered flights in support of ICE field offices and other Department of Homeland Security (DHS) initiatives.
As recently as April 24, ICE resumed removal proceedings for Cuban citizens who have received final orders of removal. This process under Title 8 immigration authorities integrates rigorous safeguards to prevent the return of individuals who may face persecution.
In fiscal year 2022, ERO made 72,177 removals to more than 150 countries around the world. ERO carries out removals of people without a legal basis to remain in the country.
It was explained that even by order of immigration judges from the Department of Justice’s Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR), non-citizens placed in removal proceedings receive due process from immigration judges in immigration courts, which are managed by the EOIR.
For operational security reasons, ICE does not confirm or comment on future or pending transport operations. However, it was said that as of Friday, the flights will take back to their countries of origin immigrants who are considered ineligible to remain in the United States, but now under the authority of Title 8.
