Human Rights First: April 2026 ICE Air Flights Reach Record 245 Removal Flights — First-Time Forced Transfers to Uganda, Paraguay, and DRC; Single Flight Makes 6 Stops Over 51 Hours with Individuals Restrained Throughout

Human Rights First published its April 2026 ICE Flight Monitor on May 14, 2026, documenting that ICE Air reached a record 245 removal flights in April — the highest monthly total since independent flight tracking began in 2020. Key findings: (1) Air Wisconsin ramped up ICE Air flights, operating 36% of all domestic shuffle flights in April after taking over from U.S. Coast Guard and smaller carriers; (2) 1,132 domestic shuffle flights in April (down only 9% from March's record 1,240); (3) Forced third-country transfer flights reached at least nine countries, including first-ever flights to Uganda, Paraguay, and the Democratic Republic of Congo, as well as continued flights to Costa Rica, Ghana, Equatorial Guinea, Cameroon, Poland, and Moldova; (4) One single ICE Air flight made consecutive deportation stops in Poland, Moldova, Armenia, Uzbekistan, Pakistan, and Georgia — a journey lasting 51 hours while detainees remained physically restrained throughout including during layovers and fuel stops; (5) Removal flights to southern Mexico surged to 68 in April as land-border deportations of Mexican nationals appeared paused — averaging 23 Mexico flights per week after April 13. The third-country transfer flight data is particularly significant as it documents ICE removing individuals to countries they may have no ties to, which raises non-refoulement and due process concerns under international and U.S. law. Representative Jasmine Crockett introduced the TRACK ICE Act during this period to mandate greater transparency regarding deportation flight operations.