The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) filed a lawsuit today against the United States government, seeking information on how president-elect Donald Trump’s plans to deport undocumented immigrants would be carried out.
The ACLU alleges that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has not responded to requests for information on its contracts with transportation companies, including private airlines known as ICE Air.
“Despite the critical role these flights play in the removal system — in many instances, serving as the mechanism for deportation — ICE Air remains shrouded in secrecy,” the lawsuit says. “President-elect Donald Trump’s stated plan to arrest noncitizens on a vast scale and operate around-the-clock deportation flights using ICE Air has rendered the public’s interest in the matter all the greater.”
“The public has a right to know how its taxpayer dollars could be used to fund deportation flights that would tear apart not only families, but also our communities,” said Eva Bitran, director of immigrants’ rights at ACLU Southern California.
The suit argues that ICE did not reply after the ACLU filed a Freedom of Information request in August. This would exceed the standard 30-day limit on responding to a Freedom of Information request, as well as the 10-day extension ICE reportedly sought.
The ACLU’s lawsuit was filed in California, and asks for a court order requiring ICE to disclose this information immediately.
Trump said on the campaign trail that he plans to "launch the largest deportation program in American history”.
In response to a Truth Social post by the head of a conservative legal group today saying the Trump administration "will use military assets to reverse the Biden invasion through a mass deportation program”, Trump posted “TRUE!!!”.
The ACLU has also begun a petition calling on Congress to cut funding to the Department of Homeland Security’s immigration enforcement sectors, in an effort to slow Trump’s deportation plans.
“Trump and his cronies have laid out their plans to use the resources of the government to perpetuate the mass arrest, detentions, and deportations of our community members and tear apart families,” the organisation said.