ICE Air Flight Attendants Speak Out
Well, here’s a tale straight from the frontline of chaos: Over the past few months, the Trump administration has been busy orchestrating a frenzy of deportation flights to places like Colombia, Guatemala, and Honduras. A whopping 85% of these whirlwind adventures are carried out by charter airlines, with none other than GlobalX leading the charge as the kingpin of government contracts.
In a twist that adds a dollop of drama, ProPublica has just tossed a splash of reality on the stage, shining a light on what flight attendants on these flights are dealing with. A big shout-out to @xJonNYC for bringing this intriguing morsel to our attention. Now, while I won’t dive into the legal or ethical battleground of these flights (there are plenty out there who excel at that), let’s indulge in exploring the reality from those on the ground, or rather, in the sky. After all, who wouldn’t be curious about the nitty-gritty of these operations?
GlobalX Flight Attendants: The Struggle is Real
Meet GlobalX, a charter airline out of the US, initially aiming to whisk sports teams and celebrities off to paradise. But as fate would have it, they’ve found their niche in government contracts, particularly with deportation flights. You’ve probably heard the term “ICE Air” thrown around—that’s them, whisking detainees across borders like a logistical circus act.
ProPublica had a chat with seven current and former GlobalX flight attendants, and boy, do their tales paint a picture of disillusionment. Once upon a time, when they signed on, GlobalX was a bright-eyed startup promising high-flying adventures with VIPs, musicians, and the like, particularly exotic jaunts to the Caribbean. Picture this, the slogan was: “you can’t beat the eXperience.” However, reality soon came knocking.
The Harsh Reality
So, what’s it like when the rubber hits the runway on these flights? Well, buckle up:
- Flight attendants are told to ignore the detainees—yes, ignore—and silence is golden; they don’t even saunter down the aisle without a security entourage.
- Their duties? Minimal at best. Arm, disarm the doors, and perform the safety drill, all in English, of course.
- For most of the flight, they’re just passengers looking out the window, perched safely away from grabbing hands.
- They’ve even gotten in hot water for reminding guards to buckle up before landing. Yep, you read that right—a complaint was filed, and management sounded like a middle school principal, asking, “why are you guys causing problems?”
Evacuation Woes: A Safety Pandora’s Box
Safety? Yeah, let’s talk about that. The pièce de résistance for these beleaguered attendants, the real head-scratcher, is dealing with evacuation protocols—or the lack thereof. Flight attendants are ostensibly there for safety reasons, yet GlobalX has conveniently forgotten to train them on evacuating chained passengers in emergencies. The FAA’s strict 90-second rule for evacuations seems like a pipe dream in this scenario.
- “They never taught us anything regarding the immigration flights. They didn’t tell us these people were going to be shackled, wrists to f*cking ankles.”
- “We have never gotten a clear answer on what we do in an ICE Air evacuation. They will not give us an answer.”
- “It’s only a matter of time.”
And this isn’t some hypothetical headache. Between 2014 and 2019, at least six deportation flights had accidents or incidents that screamed for evacuations. And in two cases, it was untrained guards who ended up leading them. One time, it took seven whole minutes to clear a smoke-engulfed cabin of shackled detainees. An ICE officer even penned down their bewilderment, confessing, “no one has received any training on emergency evacuation situations.” A reality that’s yet to see a change.
Bottom Line: An Aerial Dilemma
So there you have it. GlobalX, the prime orchestrator of the government’s deportation charades, has its flight attendants saddled with assignments that leave them exasperated. Flights where they can’t even engage with passengers and are saddled with safety puzzles that remain unsolved.
It’s tempting to speculate that some powers-that-be might prefer this backstage chaos remain under wraps. But hey, we’re just here to shine a light and let the chips fall where they may.
So, what’s your take on this saga of GlobalX flight attendants?