All (Illegal Immigrants) Aboard ICE Air

ICE is a one-way airline operated by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency.

(ABC)

Many Illegal Immigrants ICE Air Sends Home Return

Jacqueline Ceciliano, who was working as a hotel housekeeper in New Jersey, was on the same flight as Garcia. She would see her two children for the first time in four years.

When asked if she was happy to be going home, she suppressed a sob as she said, "Oh, yes, yes … I'm happy."

Like many others, she wouldn't be able to send money home anymore, but she said she didn't care.

"I like this country. Everybody's nice. I like it, but I miss my babies. I miss my babies too much."

Security on ICE Air is, as you might imagine, pretty tough. Passengers are patted down before they get on a bus to go to the airport, and are then patted down again before getting on the plane. Unarmed security guards double as flight attendants, but the service is actually quite friendly.

"For most of these folks, they've had a long journey getting here to the United States. They've been in custody anywhere from two days to two weeks to two months, so we want to make sure that once they get onboard they have a favorable impression of the government," said Pitts.

Related

'Terrorist'-Treating Doctor Denied Asylum?

Church Shelters Illegal Immigrants

Family Accused of 'Modern Day Slavery'

Last year, ICE flew more than 209,000 illegal immigrants. Their numbers have increased as the government has cracked down on illegals, and the people at ICE Air say they're saving the U.S. taxpayers money.

"What it costs us is about $680 per alien on a foreign removal flight," said Pitts. "So that's about a third of the cost it would be to get them a commercial ticket."

Some of the flights are exclusively for people convicted of crimes. On one flight to Mexico, all the passengers wore handcuffs and leg irons.

Guadelupe Cabarena, who was sentenced to five years for aggravated assault and turned over to ICE after her release, said she expected to come back to the United States.

"As a matter of fact, I was thinking just to rent a hotel room for tonight in Laredo or whatever, and then just to rest. ... I'm tired ... and then just come back," she said.

Raul Cornelia Pena, who served six years for solicitation to commit burglary, was being returned to Mexico for the second time.

"I didn't have no choice, because I wasn't going to leave my family behind and just say forget it," he said. "They sending me with no money, no nothing, I don't know anybody. I don't know what I'm going to do."