A group of single, male migrants boarded a plane only to discover that they were being returned to their home country. Upon receiving the news, the plane exploded into a brawl with outnumbered ICE officers.
As migrants from various nations flood across the U.S. southern border, law enforcement officials are finding it impossible to monitor and track the majority of those entering without proper documentation. Disturbingly, even the failed asylum seekers designated for deportation are discovering new ways to remain in the country illegally.
The latest border crisis highlights an influx of Haitian migrants, many of whom were deemed inadmissible to the U.S. after their illegal crossing into Texas. Unwilling to accept this decision, some are turning to violence in an effort to prevent their legal deportation.
While departing Laughlin Air Force Base in Del Rio, a flight of single, male Haitian migrants discovered they were being transported to Port-au-Prince in their native country. As the plane was being taxied to the runway, the cabin erupted in a melee between the passengers and the Immigration Customs and Enforcement (ICE) and Removal Operations officers, leaving several injured.
“[The Haitians] all realized they were going back to Haiti and lost it,” a senior federal law enforcement official familiar with the incident told the Washington Examiner.
Authorities confirmed that the fight began when two of the migrants got up from their seats and attacked the officers, sparking an uprising. Officers were bitten by two migrants, who now face federal charges.
“They were fighting personnel on the plane,” said the first person, adding that the alleged assailants were men.
Three ICE officers reportedly suffered non-life-threatening injuries in the brawl. The officers managed to regain control of the passengers as security located outside the plane held off a horde of migrants to keep them from climbing the stairs to the entrance.
The aggressors first assaulted the pilots of the plane, who are contracted by the government to fly deportation flights for ICE, NBC News reports. After attacking the pilots, the men turned their attention toward the officers who were attempting to subdue the passengers.
A DHS spokesperson said that “some adult migrants caused two separate disruptions on the tarmac after deplaning in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Haitian crowd control officers responded to both incidents and resolved the situations. ICE fully respects the rights of all people to peacefully express their opinions, while continuing to perform its immigration enforcement mission consistent with our priorities, federal law and agency policy.”
The brawl comes in the wake of a flood of migrants from Haiti infiltrating Texas. In just a few days, over 15,000 Haitians illegally crossed the southern border and gathered under a bridge in Del Rio. Only 1,000 were deported while another 4,000 were either deported or transferred to processing centers along the border. Thousands are still roaming free without proper documentation or processing.
Following the influx, DHS is concerned with the lack of security and resources at the airports to safely carry out deportation flights. Officials are begging the government to not only provide resources but also to shut down the border altogether.
Until border patrol can regain control of the border, the border should be closed. It is far too dangerous for both citizens and migrants exposed to the elements to allow anyone who can make the journey to enter.
Every country has the right and responsibility to its citizens to determine who will enter. Immigration isn’t a one-size-fits-all issue, and not everyone crossing the border has good intentions.
