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Over the past four months, the U.S. has deported almost 40,000 immigrants. Hundreds had Covid-19. @emilykassie and I reported for the @nytimes and @MarshallProj on how @ICEgov turned into a domestic and global spreader of the coronavirus. https://nyti.ms/2Ze45Xh
We spoke to dozens of immigrants inside ICE’s detention facilities. They described cramped dorms and unsanitary conditions that were ripe for the virus to spread. ICE has confirmed more than 3,000 cases and 2 deaths due to Covid-19 so far. https://nyti.ms/2Ze45Xh
Even as infections spiked, ICE kept moving immigrants from facility to facility. We tracked over 750 domestic flights by ICEAir since March 13. https://nyti.ms/2Ze45Xh
ICE contracts these flights from Swift Air. Airline staff told us they didn’t receive masks or gloves until mid-April. https://nyti.ms/2Ze45Xh
Some onboard were sick. Kanat, a refugee from Kyrgyzstan, was transferred from Pennsylvania to Texas even though he had Covid-19 symptoms. https://nyti.ms/2Ze45Xh
Swift Air also operates most of ICE’s deportation flights to Latin America. Omni Air International operates those to Africa, Europe and Asia. We tracked more than 200 deportation flights since March 13. https://nyti.ms/2Ze45Xh
We spoke to Covid-19 positive deportees in India, Haiti, Guatemala and El Salvador. Three were sent back to their home countries even though they had been showing symptoms for the virus. https://nyti.ms/2Ze45Xh
This investigation took almost four months and wouldn’t be possible without the contribution of many. Thank you @JakobJohnston @WitnessBorder @ijdh @splcenter @Cristosal @insamisv @ALIANZAAMERICAS @CMSnewyork @MigrationPolicy @Avelar2112 and others. https://nyti.ms/2Ze45Xh
Produced by @emilykassie and I, edited by @dim109, graphics by @DrewJordan_NYT, research by @therealDahliak. Thank you @malachybrowne @markscheffler and @ndgauss. https://nyti.ms/3030wCC
