Activists Expose Secretive Tactics Used by ICE to Hide Deportation Flights

As of August 27th, 2025, immigration advocates in Seattle are struggling to track deportation flights, which have reached record highs under the Trump administration. According to the article, airlines are now using dummy call signs for deportation flights and blocking the planes' tail numbers from public tracking websites, making it much harder for advocates to follow the government's activities.

Despite these challenges, the advocates have found ways to continue their work. Tom Cartwright, an immigration advocate, tracked 1,214 deportation-related flights in July 2025 alone, the highest level since he started monitoring in January 2020. The advocates have also turned to other methods, such as sharing information with other groups and using data from an open-source exchange that tracks aircraft transmissions.

At Seattle's King County International Airport, also known as Boeing Field, volunteers gather each time a flight arrives to count the passengers and note any signs of distress. The county has set up cameras on the tarmac to record the deportation process, which the advocates say involves detainees being shackled and searched before boarding the planes.

The advocates' work has become increasingly important as the government rarely discloses information about the deportation flights. Their efforts have helped people locate loved ones who have been deported and have also been used by news organizations in their reporting.