INSULT TO INJURY

ICE Detainees Stuck on Tarmac for Over 12 Hours During Blizzard

A deportation flight landed during a blizzard—only nobody told the airport it was coming.

A deportation flight carrying ICE detainees was stranded on a tarmac for more than 12 hours after landing in the middle of the massive blizzard that struck the Northeast. The Boeing 767 touched down at Portsmouth International Airport at Pease in New Hampshire at around 1 a.m. Monday, having departed from Harlingen, Texas. Gusting winds kept the aircraft from being towed to the terminal until around 2:45 p.m., trapping those onboard in the plane as the storm raged outside. Officials at the airport—which has hosted numerous major political figures for New Hampshire rallies, including President Joe Biden in 2022—said they had roughly 15 minutes’ notice before the flight arrived, according to WMUR. “Had we been informed in advance of their intent to land at PSM during the blizzard, we would have strongly advised against it,” they said in a statement. Port City Air, which services the airport, said flight decisions are made by the Department of Homeland Security, not by the company, and that it has no authority to turn away an aircraft when the airport is open. According to FlightAware, the Omni Air International flight is headed to Sofia, Bulgaria, on Tuesday morning.