ACLU Sues ICE Over Trump’s Mass Deportation Plans

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has taken legal action against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to shed light on how the agency might enforce Donald Trump’s proposed mass deportation plan. Trump, who has reiterated plans to deport millions of undocumented immigrants, recently announced intentions to use military resources to carry out large-scale deportation operations, sparking national concern.

The lawsuit, filed by the ACLU Foundation of Southern California (ACLU SoCal), comes after months of requests for information. The organization filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request back in August seeking details on how ICE plans to potentially expand its fleet of privately chartered deportation flights to expedite removals. ICE has not responded to the FOIA request, prompting the ACLU to take legal action.

“For months, the ACLU has been preparing for the possibility of a mass detention and deportation program, and FOIA litigation has been a central part of our roadmap,” said Kyle Virgien, a senior staff attorney with the ACLU’s national prison project. Virgien emphasized that a second Trump administration could accelerate such plans, highlighting the importance of transparency.

The use of ICE Air Operations—a network of privately chartered planes—has already contributed to over 140,000 deportations last year alone, according to the ACLU. Immigrant rights advocates fear this number could skyrocket as Trump looks to escalate deportation efforts, a move that has already left immigrant communities on edge.

“Little is known about how President-elect Trump would carry out his mass deportation agenda, but what we do know is that this proposal has already instilled fear among immigrant communities,” said Eva Bitran, director of immigrants’ rights at ACLU SoCal. “The public deserves to know how their taxpayer dollars are being used to potentially fund deportation flights that could tear apart families and communities.”

The lawsuit demands that ICE provide information on air transportation-related contracts, details of ground transportation logistics for noncitizens, and information on airfields used by the agency.

“The Freedom of Information Act requires federal agencies to disclose information requested by the public,” explained Sophie Mancall-Bitel, a partner at Mayer Brown LLP, which is working alongside the ACLU on the lawsuit. “In times like these, transparency about how federal resources are used for deportation is more crucial than ever.”