SALT LAKE CITY — Deportation flights from the U.S. have been happening across the country for months, but on Wednesday, FOX 13 News obtained our first video of what appeared to be a flight out of Salt Lake International Airport.
It all started when a station photojournalist spotted something he thought was unusual: a white jetliner with no markings taxiing into the general aviation section of the airport.
Video showed people in waist chains and handcuffs heading up the stairs to board the 737-800.
Looking for answers, FOX 13 News learned the plane belongs to Avelo Airlines, a budget carrier that confirmed it was their aircraft and not much else.
“We cannot provide specific information on details of this charter, nor do we have that information. You’ll have to contact DHS for that information,” the airline said in a statement.
Nate Carlisle explains below the frequency of ICE flights out of Salt Lake City:
The station reached out to the Department of Homeland Security, which responded, “ICE conducts flights throughout the U.S. on a daily basis. For operational security purposes, ICE does not discuss ongoing or future operations.”
The first flights spotted out of Salt Lake City came in March, which recorded just two flights. However, things began to ramp up, all the way to 11 this month, including Wednesday's flight.
“These are flights that are moving people between detention centers and in some cases, probably staging centers for deportation,” said Tom Cartwright, who tracks ICE flights.
A flight tracking website showed that after the 737-800 left Salt Lake City just after 10 a.m., it landed in El Paso, Texas, before flying to Alexandria, Louisiana, where ICE has a facility.
The federal government does not publish the numbers of the flights, which are not always displayed on commercial flight tracking apps. Cartwright tracks the flights by using various data sources.
Avelo added that it had signed an agreement with DHS to provide three aircraft based in Arizona. Tracking information showed the flight seen on Wednesday originated in Phoenix and was flying for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The airline said its aircraft are used for both domestic and international flights to support the agency’s deportation efforts.
In its statement, Avelo also pointed out that it had also flown charters under the previous Biden.
“Regardless of the administration or party affiliation, as a U.S. flag carrier, when our country calls, our practice is to say yes," the statement read. "We follow all protocols from DHS and FAA, honoring our core value of safety always.”
Because there is no information released in terms of who and how many people are on each flight, it's unknown whether those on today's flight were being held in Utah or if they came from detention centers located elsewhere in the country.
“Again, there is no visibility from ICE in this, so it could be people coming into Utah because there's available space. It could be people leaving Utah because there's not available space," Cartwright explained. "It could be people that are, have final removal orders, and they'll be put on a deportation plane closer to the border in the next day or two.”
A spokesperson for Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall said the city does not receive any notification of ICE flights, but the mayor would explore whether she, like in Seattle, has THE authority to order the publication of local flights.
