Fact check: Were American flights containing deportees recently seen on flight radar circling over oceans instead of heading to any destination?

1. Summary of the results

Based on the analyses provided, there is no evidence to support the claim that American deportation flights are circling over oceans instead of heading to destinations. Multiple fact-checking sources have directly debunked this claim.

PolitiFact explicitly contradicts this assertion, stating that there is no evidence to support claims that ICE is throwing migrants into the middle of the ocean, with an immigration activist who has tracked ICE flights for over five years calling the claim baseless ^[1]. Similarly, Deutsche Welle's fact-check also debunks these viral claims, confirming there is no evidence that people have been thrown out of planes and noting that no publicly available app specifically tracks deportations in real time ^[2].

The analyses reveal that deportation flights do operate to transport migrants to their home countries, as evidenced by the Department of Homeland Security's "Project Homecoming Charter Flight" which brought self-deporters to Honduras and Colombia ^[3]. However, these are legitimate transportation operations, not flights circling aimlessly over oceans.

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

The original question lacks important context about the legitimate deportation flight operations that do exist. Airlines like Avelo Airlines have contracts with the Department of Homeland Security to facilitate deportation flights, which has sparked protests and boycott campaigns ^{[4] [5]}. This context is crucial because it shows that deportation flights are real, documented operations with specific destinations.

Flight tracking capabilities exist through individuals like Tom Cartwright, who tracks ICE Air using public flight tracking data ^[5]. This suggests that if flights were actually circling over oceans, such behavior would likely be detectable and documented by flight tracking enthusiasts.

The analyses also reveal that the Supreme Court has allowed the Trump administration to restart swift removals of migrants to countries other than their homelands ^[6], and there have been legal challenges regarding deportations to countries where migrants have no ties ^[7]. This legal and policy context is missing from the original question.

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

The original question appears to be based on viral misinformation that has been specifically debunked by fact-checkers. The phrasing "recently seen on flight radar circling over oceans" suggests the questioner may have encountered false claims circulating on social media or other platforms.

Those who benefit from spreading such misinformation could include individuals or groups seeking to inflame anti-immigration sentiment or create panic about deportation policies. The dramatic nature of the claim - suggesting flights are aimlessly circling over oceans - appears designed to generate emotional responses rather than inform about actual deportation procedures.

The question also demonstrates a lack of understanding about how deportation flights actually operate. As noted in the analyses, deportation flights are logistical operations designed to transport people to specific destinations, typically their home countries, making the premise of flights "circling over oceans instead of heading to any destination" fundamentally flawed ^[8].