The American Civil Liberties Union filed a federal complaint against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on Monday, alleging that the agency neglected to answer open records requests about what it claims are President-elect Donald Trump’s mass deportation and detention plans.
ACLU officials have requested additional details about the government’s ICE Air Operations program, which is in charge of flying migrants and unaccompanied children, as Trump has promised to carry out the biggest deportation operation in American history once he takes office next year, according to the civil rights organization.
According to the ACLU, this action under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests the prompt release of agency records. The records pertaining to the ICE Air Operations (ICE Air) program from January 1, 2023, to the present are specifically sought to be disclosed. These records include, but are not limited to, contracts for the operation of removal flights and ground transportation to removal flights, as well as internal policies and procedures for staging, staffing, and handling flights, including those involving unaccompanied minors.
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Attorney Kyle Virgien of the ACLU’s National Prison Project released a statement on Monday outlining the importance of this information.
“FOIA litigation has been a central part of our roadmap as the ACLU has been preparing for the possibility of a mass detention and deportation program for months,” Virgien added. The fact that there will be another Trump administration emphasizes how urgent our lawsuit is.
This week, Trump reaffirmed his threat to deport large numbers of people and stated on Truth Social that his government was ready to declare a state of emergency at the border and deploy military action to expel unauthorized citizens.
According to ACLU officials, the lawsuit follows remarks made by President-elect Donald Trump, who on the first day of his second administration reiterated his pledge to begin the biggest deportation campaign in American history.
The group’s lawsuit, filed in a California federal court, demands that ICE provide the required information right away or face legal action from ACLU attorneys. According to the organization, their demands include any ICE contracts and documentation pertaining to air transportation used to carry out removals, including domestic flights used to move noncitizens between detention facilities to stage for removals as well as flights departing the United States.
According to the complaint, this concealment has obscured accountability for grave misconduct and risk on ICE Air flights. The public and media are very interested in ICE’s air removal operations. The public’s interest in the issue has increased due to President-elect Donald Trump’s declared intention to use ICE Air to conduct round-the-clock deportation flights and make mass arrests of noncitizens. The information requested will serve to clarify ICE’s removal procedures and educate the public about the dangers that would arise from future expansion of ICE Air’s capabilities.
From Law&Crime, more: The ACLU contends that Trump’s demand for immunity aims to make the president like a king and enable him to turn a legal system into his own fief.
According to the document, ACLU officials are also requesting documents that detail the ground transportation that ICE uses to transport noncitizens to airports for removal flights in accordance with the complaint. Additionally, they are requesting records that demonstrate the airfields that ICE uses or has access to for removal.
According to ACLU officials, a memo and additional information about ICE’s policies or procedures for staging noncitizens were also sought.
Attorney Sophie Mancall-Bitel said in a statement on Monday that government agencies are required by the Freedom of Information Act to provide information that the public requests. Knowing what federal resources could be utilized to forcibly remove people from the United States is more crucial than ever.
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