(PORTSMOUTH, NEW HAMPSHIRE) — An Omni Air International charter flight carrying approximately 100 ICE detainees diverted to Portsmouth International Airport and left them stranded for over 12 hours during a blizzard, before officials moved them into a closed terminal, fed them, and held them overnight until the flight continued.
The diversion to the airport, also known as Pease, quickly drew local scrutiny because it involved a federal detention transport arriving in severe weather with little warning and limited public information about detainee welfare.
Airport officials and a ground-handling contractor described a short-notice operation in which local staff provided food and shelter while federal authorities retained control over the detainees and the aircraft’s next steps.
The flight, Omni Air International 4065, operated as a DHS/ICE-related charter and used a Boeing 767-300 with a maximum capacity of 290 seats.
It departed Harlingen, Texas, around 8:15 p.m. local time on Sunday, February 22, and landed at 1:09 a.m. Monday, February 23, 2026, at Portsmouth International Airport.
After the overnight arrival, detainees remained on the tarmac for 12-13 hours, then entered the terminal around 2 p.m. Monday when they were allowed into the closed building.
Port City Air, the ground operator, provided food and held them in the terminal as of 7-8 p.m. Monday, as the blizzard conditions and operational constraints kept the flight from moving quickly.
The flight departed early Tuesday, February 24, for Sofia, Bulgaria, after about 23 hours on the ground.
Tiffany Eddy, an airport spokesperson for the Pease Development Authority, said the airport received only 15 minutes’ notice, despite prior outreach to airlines about the storm. “Had we been informed in advance of their intent to land at [Portsmouth] during the blizzard, we would have strongly advised against it and encouraged them to divert to another airport not being impacted by this severe winter storm,” Eddy said.
Local officials’ account centered on the timing and the limits of airport control once a federal aircraft arrives, especially during severe weather when diversion options narrow and coordination becomes time-critical.
A Port City Air spokesperson said the contractor did not control the decisions that kept the aircraft at Pease for hours. “Decisions about flights into, out of, and holding at Pease are not made by Port City Air. ICE-flight decisions are made by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security,” the spokesperson said.
The spokesperson added that servicing the federal flight fell under a legal obligation, framing the company’s role as ground support during a federal operation rather than a decision-maker on detainee movement.
Omni Air refused to comment on the episode, with a representative saying, “We are a charter airline; we do not give out classified information.”
As of publication time, ICE and DHS did not respond to comment requests, even as questions circulated locally about what medical support and welfare monitoring detainees received during the long tarmac wait and overnight stay.
One report noted ICE providing medications, medical personnel, and welfare checks, but the agencies did not publicly address that account in response to inquiries.
Portsmouth police were dispatched Monday afternoon amid protest concerns, but none occurred, according to the account of events. A local reporter was denied terminal access while the detainees were being held inside.
Advocates and political figures in New Hampshire criticized the diversion and the communication around it, describing the episode as more than an isolated storm disruption because it involved detained people held for hours in constrained conditions.
Jo Jordan of No ICE New Hampshire called it “operational cruelty” and “a feature of ICE’s inhumane mission,” and said the situation posed risks to crew, staff, and detainees.
Kim Herdman Shapiro of No ICE NH said the last-minute landing “really shook a lot of people up,” reflecting the anxiety that spread as word circulated locally that ICE detainees were being held at the airport during the storm.
Stefany Shaheen, the Democratic candidate for NH’s 1st Congressional District, focused her criticism on federal communication with local officials. “DHS once again failed to communicate with local officials, and is refusing to provide even the most basic answers to the public,” Shaheen said.
New Hampshire Gov. Kelly Ayotte monitored the situation through contact with Pease, according to spokesman John Corbett, as local officials emphasized that the airport cannot refuse federal aircraft.
The episode highlighted how severe-weather diversions can collide with the logistical and jurisdictional realities of federal detention transport, leaving local airport authorities and contractors managing immediate needs while key decisions remain with DHS. “DHS once again failed to communicate with local officials, and is refusing to provide even the most basic answers to the public,” Shaheen said.
ICE Detainees Wait Hours at Portsmouth Airport as Storm Delays Omni Air
A diverted ICE deportation flight left 100 detainees stranded at Portsmouth International Airport for nearly 24 hours during a blizzard. Despite the severe weather, federal authorities gave local officials minimal notice. Local contractors eventually provided food and shelter in a closed terminal after a 12-hour tarmac wait. The incident sparked criticism from New Hampshire politicians and advocates regarding operational transparency and detainee welfare.
