ICE Reinstates Detainee Flights from Hanscom Airport Amid Surge

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has restarted detainee transport flights out of Hanscom Field, returning operations to the suburban airport after a brief summer shift to Portsmouth, New Hampshire. ICE confirmed the move in early September 2025, linking the renewed use of Hanscom to an enforcement surge under Operation Patriot 2.0.

ICE Boston spokesperson James Covington told The Concord Bridge on September 11, 2025, that the flights are part of this stepped-up effort, which aims to move detainees from New England to larger detention centers in other states.

Recent timeline and scale

• The resumption follows a pause that began in mid-July, when flights moved to Pease International Airport in Portsmouth.
• During August 2025 alone, the Portsmouth hub saw at least five flights per week, transferring more than 300 people, according to local reporting.
• From December 2024 through July 2025, nearly 600 detainees were taken from Plymouth County Jail to Hanscom Field for ICE flights, with transfers rising after President Trump took office in January 2025.

Given the scale of Operation Patriot 2.0, community groups and local officials expect similar or even higher activity at Hanscom Field as the fall progresses. ICE cited operational needs tied to the enforcement surge when explaining the return to Massachusetts.

How the operations work

• Detainees are typically transported by ground from local jails (notably Plymouth County Jail) to the airfield.
• They are then flown on charter aircraft operated by private companies; Signature Aviation has been one frequent service provider.
• ICE says the return to Hanscom improves efficiency for the New England region and helps move people to states with more bed space, commonly Louisiana and Texas.

Massport, which operates Hanscom Field, says it does not schedule these flights or track who is on board. Massport notes that Hanscom is a public-use airport and that chartered operations are not subject to the same reporting requirements as commercial service. Critics say that creates a transparency gap that blocks public oversight.

What’s different under the new surge

• Operation Patriot 2.0 is described by federal officials as an initiative to move people quickly from New England facilities to larger detention centers across the country.
• The operational tempo appears higher than earlier in the year based on Portsmouth’s August activity (≥5 flights/week; >300 transfers/month).
• ICE has not published a weekly count for Hanscom, and Massport says it does not keep passenger manifests or detailed flight records for these charters.

According to analysis by VisaVerge.com, moving flights back and forth between Hanscom and Portsmouth has created confusion for families and legal teams. Many struggle to keep track of clients who can be transferred multiple times in a short period. The lack of public schedules makes it harder to:

• plan visits,
• deliver legal documents,
• coordinate counsel in receiving states.

Small changes in airport hubs can mean hours of extra travel for families trying to stay in contact.

Community impact and legal access

The restart of ICE flights has reignited protests at Hanscom Field. Activist networks, including Ground ICE, continue demonstrations targeting both the flights and private companies that support them. In neighboring New Hampshire, Occupy NH Seacoast led rallies at Pease through August.

Former U.S. Senator Gordon Humphrey has criticized ICE practices as unconstitutional and urged public pressure and legal action. Local officials, including HFAC members Teri Ackerman and Margaret Coppe, have asked for more openness from federal and airport authorities, saying communities deserve answers on how often planes depart and where people are sent.

Key community concerns include:

• sudden transfers that sever contact,
• delays or loss of legal mail,
• interruption of medical care mid-treatment,
• missed court hearings due to inability to reach counsel,
• emotional harm to families and children who lose contact with detained relatives.

Practical impacts on legal access and family contact:
– Calls and visitation can drop for days after a transfer.
– Legal mail and medical continuity often lag during re-processing at receiving facilities.
– Attorneys and advocates report difficulty locating clients quickly without public schedules or manifest access.

Practical guidance for families and lawyers

Attorneys urge families to keep key information readily available:

1. Full legal name
2. A-number (if available)
3. Country of birth
4. Last known detention location

• Use the ICE Online Detainee Locator System: ICE Detainee Locator
  • If results do not appear, check again the next day; records often update after intake at the receiving facility.
• If someone disappears from a local roster, check the Detainee Locator and call the receiving state’s facility after 24–48 hours.
• Keep copies of court papers and bond receipts.
• Collect medical records when possible before a move.
• Ask jail staff daily if a transfer is planned.

Community groups can assist with travel, phone funds, and know-your-rights workshops.

“If Hanscom remains the primary hub through the fall, transfer numbers could match or exceed the Portsmouth period. That would mean more people sent to faraway facilities, more stress on families, and more pressure on local officials to secure even basic flight data.”

Transparency, oversight, and local responses

• The Hanscom Field Advisory Commission (HFAC) voted in July to pursue more information, including requesting Federal Aviation Administration data.
• HFAC is drafting a formal statement highlighting transparency concerns and plans to ask for regular reporting (even if anonymized) and clearer coordination channels for local leaders.
• Advocates want Massport to require more disclosure from charter companies and to press for notices when ICE flights are scheduled.

Massport maintains it does not control federal operations at the airfield and continues to refer passenger-detail questions to ICE. ICE and federal officials defend the flights as part of national enforcement priorities, citing growing caseloads and limited space in New England.

What we can expect next

• ICE has not ruled out shifting operations again if conditions change, and protests are expected to continue.
• If Hanscom remains the primary hub through the fall, transfer numbers could equal or exceed the Portsmouth period, increasing burdens on families, legal teams, and local officials.
• The central tensions will likely remain:
  • federal officials emphasizing operational needs,
  • local residents and advocates demanding transparency and accountability.

Key takeaways

• ICE has resumed detainee flights out of Hanscom Field under Operation Patriot 2.0 (confirmed early September 2025).
• Recent activity shows an increased tempo compared with earlier in the year; Portsmouth’s August activity—≥5 flights/week and >300 transfers—is a possible indicator of what to expect.
• Massport does not track passenger manifests for charter flights, a point of contention for local officials and advocates seeking basic data.
• Families and lawyers should be prepared for transfers with little notice and use the ICE Detainee Locator as a first step to find transferred individuals: ICE Detainee Locator

As Hanscom Field resumes its role in ICE flights under Operation Patriot 2.0, the debate over transparency and accountability continues — balancing federal enforcement priorities against community demands for information and the practical needs of families and counsel trying to maintain contact. The planes keep lifting off; neighbors and officials want to know who is on them and where they are going.