Deportations Hit Resource Snag

Despite heightened attention, deportation flights have not seen a dramatic uptick.

Three weeks into his presidency, Donald Trump is facing the realities of limited resources, raising questions about whether the surge can be sustained.

Sources close to the administration indicate that Trump is frustrated with the current pace of deportations, which he views as insufficiently fast. In response, the president has reportedly pressed the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and his advisers to expedite the process, according to NBC News.

As of February 3, DHS data recorded 5,693 deportations. It’s unclear whether this number includes all individuals returned via international flights or just those deported across the U.S.-Mexico border.

The financial burden of deportations has also emerged as a challenge. During the Biden administration, the cost to deport one individual was approximately $10,500, covering arrest, detention, and flight expenses, sources say.

Tracking deportation flights has become more complicated as various agencies, including the military, ICE Air, and international entities, are involved in the process.

Tom Cartwright, a former finance executive who has monitored deportation flights since 2000, has relied on publicly available data and a network of informants to track these movements. However, he notes that ICE does not provide detailed tracking information.

Despite heightened attention, Cartwright’s research reveals that deportation flights have not seen a dramatic uptick. According to his tracking, eight deportation flights were conducted using military C-17 cargo planes between January 24 and January 31. Two other flights intended for Colombia were halted before landing.

In total, 109 deportation flights took place in January, with 65 before Trump’s inauguration and 44 afterward. Cartwright’s findings show that, on non-holiday weekdays, the average number of deportation flights was five before the inauguration, dropping slightly to 4.9 afterward.

In early February, the rate rose to about six flights per weekday, still within normal parameters.

Cartwright emphasizes that the increased use of military planes has not notably accelerated deportations, suggesting their use may be more symbolic than functional.

“The military planes are not fundamentally changing the deportation process,” he said, “They are being deployed primarily for show, rather than increasing the overall speed of deportations.”