ICE Restrained Deportees on 51-Hour Flight During Record Removal Month

A recent report by Human Rights First reveals that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) conducted a record 245 deportation flights in April 2026, sending individuals to 38 countries. The surge, representing a 94 percent increase from the previous year, was driven largely by removals to Mexico and an accelerated use of third-country transfers. One notable incident involved a grueling 51-hour charter flight where deportees were physically restrained with handcuffs, waist chains, and leg irons throughout the journey, which included drop-offs in six nations: Poland, Moldova, Armenia, Georgia, Pakistan, and Uzbekistan. Critics argue these operations lack transparency and due process, often sending people to places where they face persecution or have no legal ties. The administration’s strategy increasingly relies on complex air logistics managed by ICE Air Operations and contractor CSI Aviation to enforce mass deportations under President Donald Trump. This approach has raised significant human rights concerns, particularly regarding the use of full-body restraints linked to past deaths and the ethical implications of transferring migrants to countries without citizenship claims or family connections.