Forty House Democrats have formally declared themselves "gravely concerned" about the Trump administration's habit of running deportation flights like a covert CIA operation, and they've asked the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to kindly explain what the hell is going on.
In a letter addressed to FAA administrator Bryan Bedford and shared with the Guardian, the lawmakers demand "urgent transparency" over Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) expanded use of commercial airliners to shuttle detained immigrants around - and its apparently successful efforts to keep those flights off the public's radar.
"Credible reports indicate that individuals have been placed on flights without notice to counsel or family members, effectively disappearing from public view when flights are inappropriately shielded from tracking systems," the letter states. "Families are left searching for their loved ones, and attorneys are denied meaningful opportunities to intervene, raising serious due process concerns."
The letter leans on a Guardian investigation that used leaked flight data to show the administration transporting detained immigrants in ways that routinely violated their constitutional rights. The reporting also flagged allegations of abuse at a private detention center in Alexandria, Louisiana - apparently a hub in the deportation operation.
The Trump administration's hardline immigration agenda has sent ICE flight numbers soaring. Human rights groups tracking the flights noted an 84% increase from 2024 to 2025.
"Concerningly, information regarding these [ICE] flights is nearly impossible to find, which undermines congressional oversight and prevents the public from understanding the scope and conditions of these flights," the letter notes, in the tone of someone who has tried very hard to find it.
The Trump administration has previously dismissed claims of "hidden" or "weaponized" transfer flights as "categorically false," insisting its detention centers have "higher standards than most US prisons" - a bar that, given the state of US prisons, may be lower than they think.
The lawmakers want the FAA to cough up a detailed report on "all ICE air operations" since Trump took office, including where flights originated and landed, and how many passengers were crammed onto each one. They also cite an Associated Press report that revealed dozens of charter jets used for deportations were given special FAA permission to block data like tail numbers from public flight tracking sites - making it rather difficult to keep an eye on what ICE is doing up there.
"This transparency is important for the American people to understand what is happening every single day because there are so many violations of due process and legal rights happening that if people knew about them they would find it deeply problematic," said New Jersey congressman Rob Menendez, the letter's lead author. "We want people to understand what is happening on their dime."
Other signatories include Texas congresswoman Jasmine Crockett, who earlier this year introduced a bill to stop airlines from hiding their tracking data while doing federal work, along with co-author Illinois congresswoman Delia Ramirez and New York congressman Jerry Nadler, the ranking member on the House judiciary committee.
The letter also asks how the FAA assesses humanitarian conditions on ICE flights - specifically the controversial use of full body restraints during deportations. Lawmakers want to know how strapping passengers down affects evacuation and emergency procedures, and how ICE officers and flight attendants are trained to handle such scenarios.
The Trump administration has defended the restraints as "long-standing, standard ICE protocol" designed to "ensure the safety and well being of both detainees and the officers/agents accompanying them," and insists the practices are "fully in line with established legal standards."
Menendez, who sits on the influential energy and commerce committee, predicted that if Democrats retake the House after the midterms later this year, airline companies working with ICE and private detention center operators will face a much hotter seat in Congress.
"We are putting pressure on now. But when we have the majority and the gavels there is so much more work and oversight that we will be able to do to demand and get accountability for the American people so all options will be on the table," Menendez said.
"People who think they can do this [immigration detention and transfer] work without there being any consequence are wrong."