Housed at Human Rights First as of August 2025, the ICE Flight Monitor is a data-driven initiative that systematically tracks and documents U.S. immigration enforcement flights. It provides detailed insight into government operations that are often hidden from public view.
Using publicly available aviation data, the project monitors and analyzes:
- ICE deportation flights
- Domestic transfers between detention centers
- Military flights used for immigration enforcement
- Flights to offshore detention in Guantánamo
- Mexican and Panamanian government deportation flights
This data reveals the scale, mechanics, and international reach of the U.S. immigration enforcement system.
Launched by Tom Cartwright—who developed the methodology and tracked over 40,000 flights between 2020 and 2025—the project has become an essential resource for understanding immigration enforcement practices.
At a time of lawless ICE enforcement, inhumane detention, and deportations without due process, the ICE Flight Monitor delivers accessible and reliable data to strengthen public accountability and uphold transparency in our democracy.
ICE Flight Monitor Reports
The full list of monthly reports on ICE flights from January 2020 to July 2025 can be accessed through the archive currently housed by Witness at the Border.
Tom Cartwright developed a methodology to track ICE flights using publicly available aviation data and launched the ICE Flight Monitor in 2020. Between January 2020 and July 2025, he tracked over 40,000 flights, providing critical insights into immigration enforcement operations. He continues to serve as an advisor to the project now housed at Human Rights First.
Cartwright is a former Executive Vice President at JPMorgan, where he spent nearly 40 years in the financial services industry. He holds both a BS and an MS in Finance from the University of Illinois.
In semi-retirement, Cartwright shifted his focus to become a dedicated advocate for refugees and migrants. He has volunteered extensively in refugee camps in Greece and along the Texas–Mexico border, and has worked to raise awareness about refugee issues in Washington, D.C.
Cartwright and the ICE Flight Monitor in the press:
- How Louisiana Built Trump’s Busiest ICE Deportation Hub – The New York Times
- The Rising Cost of ICE Flying Immigrants to Far-Flung Detention Centers – Bloomberg
- Trump’s Deportation Flights Increased in May, Data Shows – The New York Times
- The pace of Trump’s deportation flights is so far similar to Biden’s – CNN Politics
- The Retired J.P. Morgan Executive Tracking Trump’s Deportation Flights – The Atlantic
- Thomas Cartwright, from JP Morgan executive to ICE’s sole flight tracker – EL PAÍS
- Migrants Vanish Into Opaque ICE Detention System – The Wallstreet Journal
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