Investigation: Kansas City International Airport Emerges as Major ICE Air Deportation Hub with 130 Flights in 2025

An investigation published April 23, 2026 by KCUR (Kansas City's NPR affiliate) and The Beacon News documents Kansas City International Airport (KCI) as a significant hub for ICE Air deportation and detention transfer flights. ICE Air tracked 130 departures and 106 arrivals at KCI in 2025 — the first year of Trump's second term — with 33 departures and 21 arrivals through March 2026. Immigration-related flights through Missouri increased over 200% in 2025 compared to the prior year. Nationally, ICE Air reached record levels with 1,794 flights in March 2026 — a 122% increase from March 2025. A CoreCivic detention center in Leavenworth, Kansas, reopened in March 2026 and holds approximately 1,000 detainees, intensifying KCI's role. Flights operate through private charter companies operating as 'ICE Air': Global Crossing Airlines (GlobalX), Key Lime, Omni, and Eastern Air Express. Detainees are transported in handcuffs, waist chains, and leg irons. Flight attendants have reported inadequate safety training for managing restrained passengers during emergencies. Destinations include Guatemala and Honduras (41% of removal flights); deportations between January 2025 and January 2026 expanded to 79 countries — a 76% increase in destination diversity. The investigation included a case where a last-minute court filing allowed a local immigration attorney to remove one man from a deportation flight departing KCI.