The Business of Deportation

While airlines in the U.S are struggling to meet the high costs of energy reducing amenities on board, and some are trying to avoid bankruptcy, there is one airline that is offering free service anywhere around the world- leather seats, free food, and legroom included: ICE Air. It may be the fastest growing airline to Central America.

The Wall Street Journal reports:

This carrier is run by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the federal agency responsible for finding and deporting undocumented immigrants. A crackdown on illegal immigration has led to a spike in deportations and the creation of a de facto airline to send the deportees home. The air service, called Repatriate by air-traffic controllers, is known simply as ICE Air to agency employees. Its planes have headrests emblazoned with ICE's name and seal. In-flight service is polite.

ICE Air operates much like a commercial carrier, flying passengers to hub cities where they connect to international flights. But those hub cities -- such as Mesa, Ariz., and Alexandria, La., which are close to illegal-immigrant detention sites -- are relatively obscure. And the final destinations are primarily in Latin America, including up to three flights daily to Guatemala City and two to Tegucigalpa, Honduras. Also to the Philippines, Indonesia and Cambodia.

In all, the U.S. government deports people to more than 190 countries. Outside of Mexico, ICE flew home 76,102 illegal immigrants in the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30, up from 72,187 last year and 50,222 two years ago.

ICE Air's patrons are what the airline industry calls "non-revenue passengers," since Washington foots the bill at $620 a person on average for the one-way flight home. The agency now flies 10 aircraft, twice as many as last year, including leased and government jets. Each passenger is entitled to 40 pounds of luggage, which is carefully labeled.