Fly Deportation Airlines

Rising oil prices may threaten commercial airlines, but one carrier keeps on growing: Immigration and Customs Enforcement Air, or “Repatriate” as it’s known to air-traffic controllers. The airline, used by the United States government to deport illegal immigrants, has doubled its fleet to ten planes since last year, during which it deported 76,102 non-Mexican immigrants by air. In-flight amenities include leather seats, boxed lunches, and free tickets—or, at least, tickets paid for by the United States government (average price: $620). "For a lot of these immigrants, it has been a long journey to the U.S.," said one ICE official. "This is going to be the last impression they have of the United States. We want to provide good service."