WASHINGTON (CMC) – The United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency on Friday said it has collaborated with the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) in facilitating removal flights, including single adults and family units, to several Caribbean countries.

ICE said removal flights were made, from December 18 – 22 to Cuba, Jamaica and the Dominican Republic, as well as to Central America, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Uzbekistan and Venezuela.

“If a noncitizen arrives and has no legal basis to remain in the United States, they will be processed and removed quickly, consistent with US law. In keeping with standard practice, the United States ensures that all noncitizens without a legal basis to remain in the United States are properly screened for valid protection claims and withholding of removal in accordance with our laws and US international obligations,” ICE said in a statement.

“This applies to all noncitizens, regardless of nationality, to ensure the orderly and humane processing, transfer and removal of single adults and family units. During each of the past two weeks, we have conducted over 30 repatriation flights, transporting thousands of individuals back to their country of origin, and have repatriated over 5,000 individuals directly to Mexico,” the statement continued.

Since May 12, ICE said DHS has removed or returned over 445,000 individuals, the vast majority of whom crossed the Southwest Border of the United States, including more than 70,000 individual family members.

“In seven months, this nearly exceeds the number removed and returned in all of FY19 (Fiscal Year 2019) and exceeds the number of removals and returns in each full fiscal year from 2015-2018. Daily removals and enforcement returns are nearly double what they were compared to the pre-pandemic average (2014-2019),” ICE said

The immigration enforcement agency said noncitizens placed into removal proceedings present their claims for relief or protection from removal before immigration judges in the immigration courts, which are administered by the US Justice Department’s Executive Office for Immigration Review.

Due to operational security reasons, ICE said it does not confirm or discuss future or pending transportation operations.

It added that its Air Operations facilitate the transfer and removal of noncitizens, including family units, via commercial airlines and charter flights in support of its field offices and other DHS initiatives.

In fiscal year 2022, ICE said its Enforcement and Removal Operations conducted 72,177 removals to more than 150 countries worldwide.