One-way ticket: how illegal immigrants are deported from the US

Фото: Depositphotos

Report CNN from Alexandria, Louisiana, translated ForumDaily.

On the runway, the men line up one by one. With their every step, the chains around the ankles ring, almost drowning out the rumble of aircraft engines. Some men have sneakers without laces. Others are wearing blue prison shoes. On one, work boots, still stained with paint. Perhaps these people are now doing their last steps on American soil. Boeing 737, which expects them aside, will fly to Guatemala City. These men, like all other ICE Air passengers, have a one-way ticket for the US Immigration and Customs Police.

Last year, the United States deported almost 100 000 people on charter flights similar to this. Given the upward trend in immigration arrests, the number of deportation flights may also increase.

In the early foggy morning, a group of detainees approaching the plane. On the runway, they are awaited by security officers, for whom this is an ordinary working day. A gloved guard asks the detainee, who stopped in front of him, to do what he says. He points to the detainee’s mouth. He opens up. The guard is looking for signs of smuggling. Scour pockets. Checks in socks and along the leg. Then he unfastens the handcuffs, but only for a few seconds to check and under them.

Edie Segundo Mota Perez manages to scratch his right wrist before the handcuff snaps into place again. Mota climbs the stairs to the plane, trying not to step on the chain between his legs and not lose his red sneakers without laces. The verification process lasts about 30 minutes, after which all 116 passengers are on board - first men, handcuffed and shackled, followed by women and families, without handcuffs.

Less than half of these people were prosecuted. All are Guatemalan citizens with expulsion orders. They were taken to this airport by the US immigration authorities who detained them in the eastern states. On some detainees - T-shirts with inscriptions, which can be guessed from where they brought these people. On one t-shirt - an advertisement of a company from New Jersey, on the other - from Michigan. An orange Eddie Mota shirt with the logo of the Rhode Island Football Championship.

The plane's door closes. Next stop is Guatemala.

This country in Central America is the main direction of ICE flights. Air Operations, service of the US government, which deals with deportation flights. This Boeing-737 is one of the 10 service charter planes in which immigration prisoners are moved around the US and deported home to different countries of the world. Last year, more than 29 000 illegal immigrants were deported from America from this airport in central Louisiana - one of the five ICE Air hubs.

This flight is in many ways similar to a regular passenger flight: a flight attendant with a scarf around the neck, light signals “Fasten seat belts” and safety instructions cards in the seat pockets. But only in appearance. Of the 116 flight passengers (108 men, five women and three children), 49 was prosecuted, including murder, driving intoxicated, illegal re-entry, physical aggravated violence and domestic violence.

A female voice with a soft southern drawl welcomes passengers through the speakerphone system. "Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. The estimated flight time today will be 2 hours and 36 minutes". Another flight attendant shows how to fasten seat belts, wear oxygen masks and inflate life jackets in the event of an accident: the same safety rules apply on this board as on any other person taking to the air in the USA.

Some detainees look at the flight attendants indifferently, others - spellbound. This does not surprise a dozen escorts occupying seats throughout the aircraft: they fly with the deportees several times a week. But some of the detainees are flying for the first time in their lives.

«Thank you and have a nice flight"- ends the stewardess. Some of the men are smiling. “Now in Spanish,” shouts one, and everyone laughs. But translation is not required by flight rules.

As soon as the plane takes off, one of the men shouts. Several others repeat after him. But many sit quietly, and emotions are visible only on their faces. Mota, in his orange T-shirt from the football championship, sits in the last row and with a smile communicates with his neighbor on the flight. Mota says he is happy to be back in Guatemala after almost a month behind bars in the US. He is 25 years old, and almost 8 of them he lived in Providence, Rhode Island. Mota was recently detained along with other undocumented 600 immigrants who illegally arrived in the US as unaccompanied minors.

Mota was not prosecuted. The border guards detained him after an illegal crossing of the American border in 2009. In May, the 2011-th judge ordered him to leave the country, but the guy stayed. Today he is a fugitive who has not complied with the decision of the court.

One July evening, immigration police officers were waiting for Mota on the porch of his house when he returned from work at a construction site. He does not know if he will ever see America again. Returning to being arrested again is not worth it, the guy says. He is sad because his brothers and sisters have remained in the USA. But in Hojabah, Guatemala, his mother and sister are waiting for him. He wants to start all over again, without fear of immigration services.

The plane flies at a height of 10 000 meters above the blue shimmering sea. A man with a Spanish beard, polo and black glasses on his forehead is watching the cabin. Most of the flight, he is silent. But it is clear that this immigration police officer is the main one here. He decides when the guards hand out water, turkey sandwiches and chocolate granola bars. He decides when to accompany the detainees to the toilet. And when to remove handcuffs and shackles - on this flight it is about an hour and a half after takeoff.

Sounds of clattering metal fill the cabin. The guards remove the shackles and put in worn knapsacks of green. When these detainees get off the ramp in Guatemala, they will be without shackles.

«Ladies and gentlemen, in about 30 minutes we will start landing. We ask you to stay in place with the straps fastened.».

In place of 5 is Erminio Leiva Kano. He leans as close as possible to his 17-year-old son, and together they look out of the window of the plane. There are no movies and magazines on this flight. Looking out the window is almost the only available entertainment.

Leyva looks at the fluffy white clouds scattered across the sky, trying to find out the places they fly over. Maybe this is Mexico? They drove her on their way to a long, as it seemed, future in the United States. Today they fly for the first time in their lives. Leiva, who is 54 of the year, says he never thought he would fly on an airplane. At least I did not think it would be such a flight. He and his son came to the US 10 months ago and hoped to stay for a long time. They thought they would have more time.

“In the short time that we stayed there, we did not really achieve anything,” he says.

Neither Leivu nor his son were prosecuted. Border guards detained them in Arizona after illegally crossing the US border. They were given a warrant for expulsion and released. Then Leyva and his son moved to Memphis, Tennessee. There he wore an electronic bracelet, and every month was noted in the immigration service. The son worked in the roofing company, and Leyva worked in the pallet factory.

Yesterday, Leyu was detained and informed that the day of the deportation had arrived. It all happened so suddenly that the man did not even have time to warn his relatives in Guatemala about his return. Leyva's eyes are wet. He looks out the window and tries to hold back emotions and cheer up his son.

“Regardless of what happens in life, we must hold on,” he says.

Clouds are getting bigger, the earth is getting closer. The people on board are starting to talk again.

«Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Guatemala. Local time - 9 hours 45 minutes. "

At the airport of Guatemala City, the deportees are hurriedly escorted from the aircraft to the reception area, which most of those arriving in the country never see. From the speakers there is music on the marimbach. New arrivals are distributed water, juice, and invited to sit down. The music suddenly becomes quieter, and the man in the jacket with the inscription "MIGRACIÓN" reads the ads in Spanish. He assures the group that the interview process that they will have to go through right now will be quick. He knows that they can not wait to meet with relatives. And asks newcomers to use their official name here, and not the names they used in the United States.

Every week on average 6 deportation flights from the United States arrive in Guatemala. This year, the number of deported Guatemalans has not yet reached the level of last year. But knowing the plans of the Trump administration to combat illegal immigration, Guatemalan officials are preparing for an influx of deported citizens.

Local media are not very cordially writing about the latest waves of arriving deportations. “Their American dreams have collapsed,” wrote one publication. “Many are returning with debts, not with hopes.”

But in this room the government is trying to cheer on the new arrivals. “Think about this,” says the official who meets them. “If you are here, then you risked a lot.” No need to be ashamed of it. ” Just a few hours ago, most of these people were handcuffed. And now they are met as heroes. “I want to remind you that this is our home, whoever you are, countrymen,” said the official. - Welcome". And everyone comes to the delight.

On the bright wall of the inscription in Spanish and Quiche indigenous language:

YA ESTÁS EN TU PAÍS Y CON TU GENTE

It ko chupan ri a tinamit ki kin ri ka winiäq.

You are in your own country and with your people.

And on the runway at this time, the engines of the aircraft ICE Air are turned on. Back to Louisiana it will fly almost empty. And tomorrow they will set off again - the passengers in chains will take them to Honduras.

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