ICE Air deports undocumented immigrants out of Denver
The Trump Administration has vowed to deport undocumented immigrants who have run-ins with the law. Right now, a deportation flight leaves Colorado each week. KRDO NewsChannel 13’s Cinthia Maldonado shares the story of one of the men on that flight.
About 40 people are deported from the Denver area and board ICE Air. It’s chartered by ICE Operations and passengers that plane have a one-way ticket to Mexico.
ICE Airs lands in Denver once a week to pick up those who are being deported.
On that list is Hector Nuñez, he’s 28. The U.S. is his only known home.
“27 years. All my life.”
Nuñez smoked Marijuana and got caught giving some to a 10-year-old boy.
“I was hanging out with the wrong people, felony charge, my first one ever. That’s what caught ICE’s attention.”
Nuñez says home is here and not in Mexico.
“Because I know nothing there. I’ve been raised here all my life. I’ve always put my hand up against my heart to the American flag. I feel like I am an American, but I understand I’m not. I didn’t bring myself here, I was brought here.”
“Some will go to Nogales and walk across the border. Other will fly into Mexico City.”
Jeff Lynch, head of Denver’s ICE field office says agents target undocumented immigrants who’ve committed violent crimes, including DUIs.
Lynch adds ICE does not do random sweeps or checkpoints. “We simply don’t do that. Every arrest we make is targeted and there’s an investigation that leads us to an individual.”
Deporting everyone who’s undocumented in the U.S. would overwhelm the system. So instead ICE goes after people like Nuñez.
He agreed to board this plane in exchange for not having a forced deportation on his record.
Meanwhile he hopes he finds the only person he knows in Mexico.
“My brother got deported seven years ago.”
Nuñez says he’ll be back one way or another.
“I’m going to try both ways, but I want to be here legally, not illegally.”
For now, Nuñez and others are shackled by their wrists and ankles as the plane takes off.
Just this year ICE has made more than 143,000 arrests.
