The week of August 16th there were 3 ICE flights from Hanscom taking 73 Massachusetts residents away from their families to be scattered in prisons around the country. The next week there were 7 flights, taking 174 chained and shackled residents to unknown prisons. That is a 133% increase.

We know about this because of a dedicated group of “birders” who, at risk of harassment, document each ICE flight and count the number of detainees. But at Boeing Field in Seattle, King County has installed a web cam to provide a public view of the ICE flights, and they publish the number of people from Seattle flown out on each flight.

There is no excuse for Massport to oppose facilitating transparency around ICE flights. It is legal and in the purview of the airport operator. Although we cannot prevent these flights directly until we win political power in DC, we can document all ICE operations that take place on Massachuetts State property.

Our demand for full transparency has united all of the groups working to oppose ICE deportations from Hanscom. The DE-ICE Hanscom coalition, of which Lexington Alarm is a founding member, has begun a postcard campaign to Massport and Gov. Healey.
The Hanscom Field Advisory Commission sent a letter to Massport demanding transparency and that they consider a web cam.