ICE Air brought home 114 US citizens from El Salvador amid COVID-19 outbreak

WASHINGTON – U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), working with the U.S. Department of State, brought home a total of 114 United States citizens on the return leg of a removal flight via ICE Air Operations yesterday. U.S. citizens occupied the Space Available (“Space A”) seats on flights to the United States from El Salvador.

ICE removed Salvadoran nationals with final orders of removal from the United States to their home country March 31. On the return flight to the United States, ICE facilitated the transportation of U.S. citizens in accordance with the OMB Circular A-126 and the DHS MD 0020.1.

Prior to boarding an ICE Air flight, detainees are screened for a temperature higher than 100.4 degrees or other symptoms. Detainees with symptoms are immediately referred to a medical provider for further evaluation and observation. ICE will continue to work with the State Department to facilitate the safe return of U.S. citizens on future removal flight returns from Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador throughout the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic. These return operations have started to expand to other countries outside of the Northern Triangle, including Colombia.