ACLU files lawsuit seeking details on Trump's plan for mass deportation

Source: Washington Post

ACLU files lawsuit seeking details on Trump’s plan for mass deportation
The lawsuit alleges that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has failed to respond to requests for basic information about matters including flights.

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A Texas delegate holds a sign during the third day of the 2024 Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee on July 17. (Kamil Krzaczynski /AFP/Getty Images)

By Maria Sacchetti
November 18, 2024 at 2:07 p.m. EST

Civil-liberties lawyers alarmed by President-elect Donald Trump’s plan to launch mass deportations of undocumented immigrants sued the federal government Monday for information about how authorities might quickly remove people from the United States.

The federal lawsuit alleges that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has failed to respond to requests for basic information about its existing contracts with private airline companies that make up “ICE Air,” as well as ground transportation services, airfields and policies governing deportation flights, including those carrying children.

Lawyers said the information is urgent because of Trump’s election victory this month and his upcoming inauguration on Jan. 20. Advocates for immigrants have accused ICE and its contractors of treating migrants harshly and holding them in inhumane conditions.

“Despite the critical role these flights play in the removal system—in many instances, serving as the mechanism for deportation—ICE Air remains shrouded in secrecy,” said the lawsuit, filed in Los Angeles by the American Civil Liberties Union Foundation of Southern California. “This secrecy has masked responsibility for serious abuses and danger on ICE Air flights.”

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By Maria Sacchetti
Maria Sacchetti covers immigration for the Washington Post, including U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the court system. She previously reported for the Boston Globe, where her work led to the release of several immigrants from jail. She lived for several years in Latin America and is fluent in Spanish.follow on X @mariasacchetti

Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/immigration/2024/11/18/trump-mass-deportation-aclu-lawsuit/