ICE Cancels Controversial Deportation Flight to Cameroon

[TexasTowelie]

The stalled deportation of 60 Black immigrants shows that the Biden administration can choose not to send asylum seekers back home.


At the last minute yesterday, a scheduled deportation flight for at least 60 Black immigrants did not depart from Alexandria, Louisiana, for Cameroon as planned, but instead took off for Dallas without passengers. An observer, Frances Kelley, said that she never saw anyone board the plane. Kelley works with Witness at the Border, a volunteer organization that witnesses and tracks deportations and other Immigration and Customs Enforcement movements. Kelley was watching the tarmac from a golf cart. She said the closest she could get to the flight was a nearby golf course. Tom Cartwright, Kelley’s colleague at Witness at the Border who was tracking the flight data, confirmed that the flight left for Dallas.

“I made a reservation yesterday to golf even though I don’t golf, and we’ve been driving around at one of the holes because it was one of the best places to observe from,” Kelley said after the flight took off. “So it’s great because, you know, every other flight I’ve been a witness for has taken off and people have been deported. So it’s very exciting.”

At the time, it was unclear if the administration stepped in or why the flight was canceled. The White House deferred comment to the Department of Homeland Security, which did not respond to a request for comment.

But on Thursday afternoon, an ICE spokesperson said in a statement to the Prospect that allegations of misconduct and detainee abuse were being reviewed by the Department of Homeland Security and the Office of the Inspector General. Five Cameroonian asylum seekers who had protested their conditions in ICE custody last fall at Pine Prairie ICE processing center were said to be on yesterday’s flight. Their potential deportations appear to be behind the flight’s last-minute cancellation.

Read more: https://prospect.org/justice/ice-cancels-controversial-deportation-flight-to-cameroon/
(American Prospect)

[Hortensis]

1. Continuing: "ICE "decided to cancel Feb. 3 [sic] flight to allow any potential victims"

or witnesses an opportunity to be interviewed, and will conduct an agency review of recent use-of-force reports related to individuals on this flight, and issue any additional guidance or training as deemed necessary,” the spokesperson said in a statement. The about-face comes as Alejandro Mayorkas, sworn in this week, takes the helm of DHS.

While immigrant rights advocates saw this as a victory, it’s not the only known deportation flight scheduled since Biden took office. Several other flights did take off, and another flight is scheduled for Jamaica later this month. However, many advocates and members of Congress had been angered about this particular flight to Cameroon, a country wracked with civil strife that could pose dangers for returning asylum seekers.

... Advocates say Biden could order ICE not to deport asylum seekers, with the reasoning that each individual’s case must be reviewed to ensure that the United States does not violate its international treaty obligations, which prevent countries from sending migrants back where they may be persecuted. Biden could also ...

The enforcement priorities on removals of the immigration agencies have changed since Monday, but it’s still unclear how these changes are impacting agencies.

Thank GOODness, though understanding that in any outcome most of those 40 will return to Cameroon.

[PatrickforO]

2. Here's a truth-edit for that last paragraph:

But on Thursday afternoon, an ICE spokesman hung his head in shame, and said in a statement to the Prospect that allegations of genocide and other crimes against humanity, including detainee abuse...

I'm glad that plane left for Dallas light.

[quakerboy]

3. Can we abolish trumps goon squads yet

ICE, BPD, and other agencies who were deployed to harass and kidnap US citizens in Portland should be either abolished or fired to the last person and rebuilt completely.

[uponit7771]

4. This organization needs to be cleaned out yesterday, it stinks from leadership on dkwn