The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has recently disclosed that it has conducted its eighth removal flight to Venezuela since the resumption of air flight removals in October. This operation is being facilitated with assistance from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP).
According to a DHS news release, removal flights carrying families and individual adults are also being dispatched to Central America, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela, and South Korea. Migrants without a legal claim to remain in the country will be processed accordingly and removed promptly, in accordance with federal law.
The news release states that approximately 13,000 Venezuelan nationals have been repatriated on return flights since May 12. With the government recommencing direct repatriation flights to Venezuela, this number is anticipated to rise in the forthcoming months. Migrants of any nationality, who initiate a legal claim to stay in the country, will be thoroughly vetted in compliance with federal guidelines and U.S. international obligations.
The news release further indicates that over 30 repatriation flights have been executed each week for the past two weeks. This has resulted in thousands of individuals being flown back to their countries of origin, including 5,000 people returned to Mexico. The Justice Department’s Executive Office for Immigration Review handles migrants' claims for relief or protection from removal before immigration judges in immigration courts. Due to privacy concerns, ICE does not discuss or confirm pending or upcoming transportation operations.
According to the same release, illegal aliens are deported from the country by ICE Air Operations through commercial airlines and chartered flights supporting ICE field offices and other DHS measures. In fiscal year 2022 alone, ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations carried out 72,177 removals to more than 150 countries worldwide.
