ICE Uses Commercial Flights for Immigrant Detention Transfers

Thu Mar 26 2026 21:03:56 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

Recent videos reveal the use of commercial flights by ICE to transfer immigrants, including a 5-year-old boy and his father, raising concerns about transparency in detention practices.

Surveillance footage from Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport shows ICE transporting a father and his 5-year-old son on a commercial Delta Air Lines flight to Texas, following their apprehension. This incident highlights the growing trend of using commercial flights for immigrant detentions, as the agency increases operations not visible to the public. Human rights advocates are voicing concerns about the lack of transparency surrounding these practices.

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A video recently obtained through public records shows federal agents employing commercial flights to transfer detained immigrants, including a young boy who became a symbol of immigration issues in Minneapolis. The footage captures a 5-year-old boy, Liam Conejo Ramos, and his father, Adrian Conejo Arias, being led through the airport by plainclothes escorts after being detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

Liam, who was wearing a bunny hat at the time of detention, appeared calm as he and his father boarded a Delta Air Lines flight to Texas, just a day after their arrest. The presence of the ICE escort blending in with other passengers raises concerns about the visibility of such transfers.

This practice of utilizing commercial airlines is part of a broader strategy by the ICE Air Operations, which usually relies on chartered flights for deportations. Human rights groups are increasingly concerned as these operations are often conducted out of public sight, complicating efforts to monitor the treatment of detainees.

According to Nick Benson, an aviation activist who uncovered this video, these flight practices also seem to make it harder to track, as monitors can't see individual passengers on commercial flights. The latest figures indicate a rise in domestic transfer and deportation flights, representing a significant increase in ICE activities.

Liam’s family was detained while seeking asylum in the United States, and although they were eventually released by a judge, their asylum request was denied, prompting an appeal. This incident not only raises ethical questions about the treatment of such families but also highlights discrepancies in the public's awareness of ongoing immigration enforcement procedures.

Delta Air Lines stated that they do not have advance notice of who is flying under government bookings, a reflection of the lack of transparency in these immigration operations. As the public is kept in the dark, advocates voice concerns over the moral implications of detaining families and using commercial air travel for deportation purposes.