Volunteers physically observe aircraft used for immigration detention transfers, count passengers and contribute information to Habeas Flight Watch’s national tracking network. Advocates have also met with airport and city officials and requested flight logs, better sightlines and a public livestream comparable to one maintained at a Washington airport.
Why It Matters
Transfers can make it difficult for detained people’s families and attorneys to learn where they have been taken. Citizen observation creates an independent public record of a government system that otherwise operates with limited visibility and gives residents evidence with which to request stronger local oversight.