Bill would strip flight privacy from private planes hired for deportations

What does this do?

HR 7172 would remove FAA flight-privacy protections from any private aircraft contracted by ICE or Customs and Border Protection using federal funds to detain or deport people. It would also require the Department of Homeland Security to publish flight details online within 72 hours of each deportation or detention flight, including locations, times, aircraft registration, passenger counts, demographic information, and types of physical restraints used.

Who does it affect?

The bill directly affects ICE, Customs and Border Protection, private aviation companies that contract with those agencies, and people detained and transported by immigration authorities. Journalists, researchers, and members of the public who want to track immigration enforcement flights would also be affected.

Why does it matter?

Removing the privacy shield would make flight data for federally funded immigration enforcement flights visible to the public. Mandatory disclosure of restraint use, demographics, and flight logistics could increase public and press scrutiny of how detainees are treated during transport.

Where does it stand?