Boeing Field Flights Erupt in Surge of Immigrant Detentions

Over the past few weeks, the number of Immigration and Customs Enforcement flights out of Seattle's Boeing Field has seen a significant surge. The flights have been transporting immigrants, many with long-standing ties to Washington state, to different facilities across the country.

According to county records, nearly 500 people have been flown out of Boeing Field since late August. Detainees who spoke to KUOW reported that they often receive little notice before a flight, and that communications are shut down between detainees and the outside world during the night, making it difficult for them to inform their lawyers or family about plans to relocate.

Guadalupe Gonzalez, who works with La Resistencia, an immigrant rights group, noted that the increase in flights began soon after attorneys at the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project won a lawsuit that made it easier for detainees to have a bond hearing while locked up at the Tacoma ICE center. Many of those flown out had recent initial court hearings or were about to have one where they could request a bond hearing.

Detainees told KUOW that people are being flown to Virginia, Texas, and Mississippi, among other locations. Eli Villa-Malone, a Yakima attorney providing pro-bono consultation services to detainees, said that being moved to a new state complicates the legal process and can put people at a disadvantage in seeking asylum or a bond hearing.