Healey demands ICE stop flying immigrant detainees out of Hanscom airport

Gov. Maura Healey is demanding that immigration enforcement authorities "immediately stop" using Hanscom Field airport to fly detainees out of state.

In a letter dated Dec. 12 to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and the acting director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Todd Lyons, the governor called ICE's use of Hanscom to remove people from the state "part of its disturbing and anti-American deportation tactics."

WBUR has reported on hundreds of detainees being shuttled to the Bedford airport from Plymouth County jail to board ICE flights. People arrested by immigration agents in the Boston area are often flown in private jets to Louisiana or Texas, in many cases without notice to their families or lawyers.

ICE's use of Hanscom for immigration flights has garnered protests in the past. The agency temporarily stopped using the airfield in late July, but began detainee flights again in September as part of a surge in immigration enforcement in the state. ICE did not explain at the time why it paused flights from Hanscom.

Healey noted in the letter that a "significant majority" of people detained by ICE in Massachusetts over the past year "have no criminal convictions or charges." She said flying them far from their support systems and legal counsel "often within hours of arrest — is intentionally cruel and purposely obstructs the due process and legal representation they are owed."

The governor closed her letter demanding that ICE "immediately stop using any Massachusetts airports and private jets to deport residents and obstruct due process, and to halt this practice across this country."

ICE did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Massachusetts Port Authority, a quasi-public agency, operates Hanscom. In a statement, a Massport spokeswoman said “ICE flights" are charter flights operated out of the airport.

"Massport does not receive prior knowledge of these flights, nor does the Authority have a role in their operation," she said.

She said Massport "cannot discriminate who can or cannot use the airport. Public use airports like Hanscom are required to accommodate all flights to the airport, including those by or on behalf of the federal government."

WBUR's Andrea Perdomo-Hernandez contributed to this report.