Ohio airports become hidden hub for ICE deportation flights
Oct 13, 2026·Location: OH

Youngstown-Warren and Akron-Canton regional airports in north-east Ohio have become major, largely hidden hubs for ICE-contracted deportation flights, with about 300 flights recorded at each so far this year. Immigrants held at regional jails are bused to the airports and flown, often via Alexandria, Louisiana, to overseas destinations including Honduras, Guatemala and Mexico. A September 28 collision between two Eastern Air Express planes at Akron-Canton, an airline previously fined by the FAA for safety violations, has raised concerns among advocacy groups about detainee safety, while local activists including military veteran Erin Bracken-Sanchez monitor the flights and protest the operations.
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