Massport Lies About ICE Operations at Hanscom to Advisory Committee

ByToby Sackton

In September the Hanscom Field Advisory Commission, consisting of representatives from the towns surrounding Hanscom, formally asked Massport for information about incoming ICE flights at the airfield and support activities, such as fueling and servicing of ICE charters. Christopher Willenborg, director of Hanscom Field, replied that Massport had no knowledge of incoming ICE flights. This was a lie.

In a letter dated Sept. 25th, Mr. Willenborg wrote “airport representatives do not receive advance notification of ICE flight activity, as these are federal operations.”

Yet in an email conversation on Sept. 5th, Tony Caruso, General Manager BED emailed Chris at 9:30 am with the subject :”ICE CHARTER FLIGHTS” and told him “Here is the info we received on the ICE charter flights scheduled for this afternoon and tomorrow afternoon. The Operator is Avelo Airlines – B737-800 aircraft.”.

Chris responded at 10:11 asking Tony to “give him a call today” and at 10:14 Tony replied “sure call you shortly.”

The email exchange shows not only knowledge of ICE charters coming to Hanscom but concern about discussing it via email where it is subject to discovery.

Disingenuously in the reply to the HFAC, Willenborg suggested they contact ICE directly. They have done so, and invited a representative to their November meeting.

We doubt they will appear, and if they do, they will not give information.

Massport is a public agency of the Commonwealth. It cannot hide its responsibility to be transparent about airport operations that threaten the health, safety and constitutional rights of Massachusetts residents. HFAC was not asking Massport to stop the flights. They were asking for information.

Residents of Massachusetts have been kidnapped by masked men, secretly transported to the airfield, and flown out of state before they could contact lawyers or get other assistance to which they are entitled by our state constitution. Some of the people being transported had every legal right to remain in Massachusetts but ICE is determined to prevent their appearance before a local judge. We do not know if these operations are legal, if they comply with safety and insurance requirements, and if having shackled prisoners aboard an aircraft while it is refueling, unable to freely evacuate the cabin, is a potential disaster waiting to happen.

Massport owes the Commonwealth information about these operations, and the fact that they lied to the advisory commission shows that they are afraid of public reaction. It could hurt their reputation as manager of much bigger operations such as Logan airport and the new Boston cruise terminal.

We have begun a weekly protest at the entrance to Hanscom Field on Old Bedford rd, Lincoln. We demand that Massport provide full information to the HFAC and the general public about ICE operations at Hanscom.

As we have seen in Illinois and California, state agencies have an active and constructive role to play in protecting their residents from harm by rogue federal agencies operating in violation of state and federal laws to create confrontations, terror, and chaos in communities with significant immigrant populations.

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