Colorado Airline Operates ICE Deportation Flights, Records Show

(COLORADO) A Colorado airline is flying people for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement as part of a stepped-up removal effort in 2025, according to public records and recent investigative reporting. The company’s role includes both deportation flights to other countries and domestic transfer flights between detention centers and staging facilities.

While the carrier’s name is not disclosed in the available documents, its participation has been confirmed through records that track ICE flights and federal air operations. The growth is measurable: records show at least 7,454 ICE enforcement flights took place between January 20 and August 31, 2025—a 34% increase over the same period in 2024.

Most of these trips use ICE’s own charter network, commonly known as ICE Air, but a smaller share is flown by other carriers, including the Colorado airline. The flights range from short “shuffle” runs that move detainees within the United States 🇺🇸 to long-haul removal flights that end with deportation.

Key confirmed facts

• A Colorado airline is operating ICE flights under government contract.
• These include both removal (deportation) flights and domestic transfer (“shuffle”) flights.
• At least 7,454 flights took place from January 20 to August 31, 2025—a 34% year-over-year increase.
• Most flights are operated by ICE Air charter planes, with a smaller portion handled by other carriers.
• Restraints are often used on detainees, prompting rights and due process concerns.

The increase in air transport has raised concerns about conditions on board, transparency around who is being moved and why, and whether people facing deportation have a fair chance to present their cases before they are flown out.

Rising use of air transport in 2025

The surge in ICE flights is part of a broader push to increase removals and manage detention capacity across different facilities. Air operations allow the agency to:

• Move large groups quickly.
• Align travel with consular document deadlines.
• Respond to court outcomes or policy shifts.

According to analysis by VisaVerge.com, the 2025 increase has broadened the network of routes within the country while sustaining regular international departures tied to deportation orders.

Officials say air transport is efficient. Critics argue speed can come at a cost:

• People transferred multiple times may struggle to stay in touch with attorneys, track court dates, or gather evidence for pending claims.
• Families may find it hard to locate loved ones or plan visits.
• Advocacy groups have raised alarms about the use of restraints on flights, especially for people with health issues or trauma histories.

ICE Air operations have existed for years, but the current pace has added pressure on detention systems, legal counsel, and consular services. Moving people by air also shifts burdens onto smaller regional airports that may see detainee flights infrequently and lack clear communication channels with local communities.

For the Colorado airline involved, the contract underscores how private carriers sometimes provide capacity beyond ICE’s core charter system. Public records do not describe the full scope of routes for this carrier, but they confirm active participation within the enforcement network.

What the spike means for people on board

For individuals in detention, air transfers can change the legal landscape overnight. A person held near one immigration court may be moved to a different jurisdiction with:

• Different case backlogs.
• Different access to counsel.
• Different bond practices.

If someone has a pending asylum, withholding, or family-based relief claim, a sudden transfer may interrupt meetings with counsel or delay the collection of documents. Because deportation is life-changing, even a short “shuffle” flight can greatly affect a person’s ability to pursue options already in motion.

Public records distinguish two flight types:

1. Removal flights — End in deportation; people are sent to their country of nationality after a final order or other legal basis.
2. Transfer flights — Move people between facilities inside the United States, often to prepare for hearings, medical care, or onward removal.

Both types are counted in the 2025 totals. In practice, each transfer can reset routines: new facility rules, new commissary systems, and new visitation policies. Families often scramble to keep contact stable during these changes.

Transparency and accountability concerns

• Passenger manifests are not public.
• Details about medical care, restraints, and access to legal counsel during transport are limited.
• Rights groups ask for stronger reporting on:
  • Who is moved.
  • Number of flights.
  • Use of restraints.
  • Any injuries or incidents on board.

Several watchdog organizations have pressed for clarity on standards that apply to private carriers assisting with ICE flights, including:

• What training flight crews receive.
• How complaints are handled.

The federal government describes ICE Air as a key tool to carry out removal orders and manage the detention system. An overview of the program and its stated mission is available on ICE’s official site at ICE Air Operations. The page outlines air transport functions and the agency’s stated roles in enforcement.

While these descriptions present operational goals, the lived experience for people on board can be very different from the formal program language.

Local impacts and wider debate

In Colorado, the airline’s role places the state within a national infrastructure of enforcement. Local airports may see sporadic activity tied to transfer runs, often outside public view.

• Employees at carriers involved in ICE flights sometimes face internal debates about participation, as company reputations can be shaped by the work they accept.
• Communities near airports may ask for more public notice when detainee flights are expected, especially when transfers affect local detention facilities.

The scale of air operations in 2025 has reopened political arguments over the balance between border control and due process:

• Supporters of the strategy under President Trump argue a strong enforcement posture is needed to carry out court orders and deter future unauthorized arrivals.
• Opponents argue the sharp rise in flights risks short-circuiting legal claims, especially for people with credible fears of return or long-settled residents with U.S. citizen family members.

Practical steps for people facing transfer

For families and attorneys, the pace of transfers makes timely information essential. Common recommendations include:

• Keep copies of key records (decision notices, proof of filings) on your person.
• Memorize phone numbers of family and lawyers in case property gets misplaced during transport.
• Counsel often advise clients to prepare standard documentation packs to reduce delays after a move.

While these steps won’t prevent a transfer, they can help reduce delays in reconnecting after a move.

Conclusion

The Colorado airline’s contracted role highlights a quieter but powerful part of the immigration system: what happens after a person is detained or ordered removed. The number of ICE flights, the routes they follow, and the conditions on board can shape outcomes as much as courtroom rulings.

As 2025 continues, debate will likely focus on whether the growth in air operations matches the country’s legal standards for fairness and the public’s expectations for humane treatment during deportation and detention transfers.