U.S. Customs and Border (CBP) Patrol Chief Jesse Owens recently took to Platform X to advocate for more flights to return illegal aliens back to their country. This initiative aims to reinforce law enforcement on immigration and discourage illegal entry into the United States.
"Repatriation flights send those who enter the U.S. illegally back to their country. These flights go to countries like Venezuela, Colombia, Guatemala, El Salvador & Honduras. They represent a real consequence to those who break our laws. We need more of them. @dhsgov @cbpgov", said Jesse Owens.
The recent call by Chief Owens aligns with the ongoing efforts by Homeland Security. Earlier this month, the Department of Homeland Security announced in a press release that they were working with CPB and the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to conduct removal flights of families and single adults to Central America, Ecuador, India, Peru, and Venezuela. The initiative was in line with the dozens of other removal flights spearheaded by ICE to remove people from the country. DHS has removed or returned more than 380,000 individuals to their country since May 2023, which includes over 60,000 "individual family unit members."
This stance is backed up by clear policies. According to the media release: "Noncitizens who lack a lawful basis to stay in the United States will be removed, consistent with U.S. law. In keeping with standard practice, the United States ensures that all noncitizens, including Venezuelan nationals, 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 - ensuring orderly and humane processing, transfer, and removal of single adults and family units."
Despite these stringent measures, there are still provisions for those who claim asylum. Undocumented migrants who are placed into removal proceedings can present evidence that they have an asylum claim before an immigration judge decides their case in immigration courts, according to the DHS release. The Justice Department’s Executive Office for Immigration Review oversees the process. ICE does not approve or examine future or ongoing transportation operations because of operational security reasons.
