Deportation flights in June and July exceeded the average for previous months and the same period last year.
Air deportations from the United States to El Salvador remained at historically high levels during July, with a total of 22 flights, the same number as in June, according to ICE Air monitoring conducted by Witness At The Border. This is the highest number since August 2022 and represents a 55% increase compared to the average for the previous six months, as well as an 83% increase compared to July 2024.
For César RÃos, director of the Asociación Agenda Migrante El Salvador (AAMES), the sustained increase is due to a change in US immigration policy following the operations in Los Angeles, California.
RÃos noted that this change is reflected in the increase in flights to El Salvador during July and August, driven by massive raids in sanctuary states such as New York and California. In his view, the situation demands a broader institutional response in the country to care for the returning population.
In July, the majority of deportation flights to El Salvador departed from Alexandria, Louisiana, and Harlingen, Texas, both key points for ICE Air operations. These airports serve as concentration centers for migrants before their return and account for a large portion of international deportation flights within the U.S. system.
