ICE from the United States operates a relocation flight to Jamaica

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) says it continues to facilitate removal flights of single adults and family units to countries such as Jamaica.

Last week, ICE operated a number of those relocation flights to Jamaica, Cuba, Brazil, Central America, Colombia, Ecuador and Mexico.

In a press release, the agency said that if a non-citizen arrives and has no legal basis to remain in the US, they will be processed and removed quickly, in accordance with US law.

From May 12, 2023 to April 17, 2024, DHS removed or returned more than 690,000 individuals, the vast majority of whom crossed the Southwest border, including more than 105,000 individual family members.

It says the majority of all individuals found on the southwest border in the past three years have been removed, returned or expelled.

“The total number of moves and returns since mid-May exceeds moves and returns in every full fiscal year since 2011,” ICE said.

Referring to standard practice, ICE said the U.S. ensures that all noncitizens without a legal basis to remain in the U.S. are appropriately screened for valid protection claims and withholding of removal in accordance with U.S. laws and international obligations .

“This applies to all non-citizens, regardless of nationality, to ensure the orderly and humane processing, transfer and removal of single adults and family units,” the release said.

Noncitizens placed in removal proceedings bring their claims for damages or protection from removal before immigration judges in the immigration courts administered by the Department of Justice’s Executive Office for Immigration Review.

Due to operational security reasons, ICE said it does not confirm or discuss future or ongoing transportation activities.

ICE Air Operations facilitates the transfer and removal of these individuals, including family units, via commercial airlines and charter flights in support of ICE field offices and other DHS initiatives.

In fiscal year 2023, ICE conducted 142,580 removals and 62,545 Title 42 deportations to more than 170 countries around the world.