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Welcome to Illegal Immigrant Air

De facto new airline shuttles aliens home

By Kevin Spak, Newser Staff

Posted Oct 17, 2008 10:44 AM CDT

(Newser) – There’s a new airline in town, and it’s offering all the amenities: leather seats, ample legroom, free food, and impeccable service. There’s just one problem: Its passengers would usually rather not be traveling, the Wall Street Journal reports. Welcome to ICE Air, the de facto new airline born from the recent crackdowns on illegal immigrants.

ICE—Immigration and Customs Enforcement —operates 10 aircraft, flying to more than 190 countries. Excluding Mexican deportees, the agency flew 76,102 illegals home in the past fiscal year. The WSJ tagged along on one flight in a 737-800 to Guatemala. The seats were comfortable, the food lousy, and the service friendly. It was a normal flight, in other words, and some were even happy to arrive home.

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A U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement office has a sign in its window advertising Operation Scheduled Departure Tuesday, Aug. 5, 2008, in Santa Ana, Calif. (AP Photo/Ric Francis)

The actual accommodations on ICE Air probably aren't as posh as this, but they're nicer than most, according to the Wall Street Journal. (Shutterstock)

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For a lot of these immigrants, it has been a long journey to the U.S. This is going to be the last impression they have of the United States. We want to provide good service. - Michael J. Pitts, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement

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Welcome to Illegal Immigrant Air