The surge of immigration detention flights at Minneapolis-Saint Paul airport spurred plane spotter Nick Benson to shift from tracking rare and unusual aircraft to cataloging the removal of detainees from Minnesota.
Through a telephoto lense fixed to a tripod set up on a frozen, wind-swept corner of an airport carpark, Benson watched shackled detainees being loaded onto a flight chartered by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
kAmQxEVD 2 492CE6C 7=:89E @A6C2E65 3J 8=@32= 4C@DD:?8 2:C=:?6D @? 3692=7 @7 H92E H6 H@F=5 42== Vxrt 2:C[VQ 96 D2:5]Â k^Am
kAmQxEVD E96 ?6EH@C< @7 2:CA=2?6D 2?5 2:C=:?6D E92E 2C6 >@G:?8 56A@CE66D 2C@F?5 :? E96 &?:E65 $E2E6D[ 7C@> 4:E:6D 2== 24C@DD E96 &?:E65 $E2E6D E@ 56E6?E:@? 724:=:E:6D]Qk^Am
kAmx? y2?F2CJ D@ 72C E96C6 92G6 366? bh 7=:89ED E92E 92G6 E2<6? a[aga >:8C2?ED @FE @7 |:??6D@E2 244@C5:?8 E@ q6?D@?VD 4@F?E[ H:E9 >F=E:A=6 52:=J 7=:89ED 2E E96 96:89E @7 E96 %CF>A 25>:?:DEC2E:@?D DFC86 @7 :>>:8C2E:@? 2CC6DED :? |:??6D@E2 E9:D >@?E9]k^Am
kAmqJ 4@?EC2DE :? y2?F2CJ a_ad E96C6 H2D ;FDE @?6 DF49 7=:89E 2 52J]k^Am
kAmq6?D@?[ 2 ;@==J[ A=2:5\H62C:?8 >:5H6DE6C?6C 3C:>>:?8 H:E9 6?E9FD:2D> 7@C A=2?6D[ D2:5 96 H2D DAFCC65 E@ 24E:@? 3J H92E 96 56D4C:365 2D E96 4CF6=EJ @7 &$ !C6D:56?E s@?2=5 %CF>AVD 56A@CE2E:@? 286?52]k^Am
kAmw6 D2:5 96 925 H:E?6DD65 6=56C=J 56E2:?66D H9@ ?66565 2DD:DE2?46 4=:>3:?8 E96 DE2:CD E@ E96 2:C4C27E[ 2D H6== 2D @?6 :?5:G:5F2= H9@ H2D DE:== H62C:?8 E96:C p>2K@? H@C< F?:7@C>]k^Am
kAmQ%92E 5@6D?VE >2<6 2?J D6?D6[Q 96 D2:5 2D 96 EC24<65 E96 =@25:?8 @7 2? 2:C4C27E H:E9 c_ 56E2:?66D (65?6D52J]k^Am
kAmw6 =@8D 6249 C6>@G2= 7=:89E[ FA52E:?8 2 52E232D6 2?5 D92C:?8 9:D 7:?5:?8D H:E9 42>A2:8? 8C@FA E96 d_d_` |@G6>6?E]k^Am
kAmQ%9:D :D E96 @?=J D@FC46 @7 C62= E:>6 :?7@C>2E:@? @? 9@H >2?J A6@A=6 2C6 24EF2==J =62G:?8 |:??6D@E2 C:89E ?@H[Q 96 D2:5 2D E96 DE2E6 :D :? E96 8C:A @7 F?AC64656?E65 DH66AD E@ 2CC6DE65 F?5@4F>6?E65 A6@A=6]k^Am
kAm}2E:@?H:56[ xrt @A6C2E6D E9@FD2?5D @7 DF49 7=:89ED 2 J62C[ 3@E9 E@ >@G6 56E2:?66D 2C@F?5 E96 &?:E65 $E2E6D =:<6 H:E9 (65?6D52JVD 492CE6C[ 2D H6== 2D 56A@CE:?8 A6@A=6 E@ @E96C 4@F?EC:6D \\ D@>6E:>6D ?2E:@?D @E96C E92? E96:C @H?]k^Am
k9am\ V(@CDE @7 E96 H@CDEVn \k^9am
kAmuC@> y2?F2CJ a_ E@ s646>36C b`[ a_ad[ E96C6 H6C6 `b[cce :>>:8C2E:@? 6?7@C46>6?E 7=:89ED[ @7 H9:49 a[`bg H6C6 56A@CE2E:@? 7=:89ED[ xrt u=:89E |@?:E@C C6A@CE65]k^Am
kAmq6?D@?[ 2? 2G:2E:@? 52E2 2?2=JE:4D AC@76DD:@?2=[ D2:5 EC24<:?8 E96 7=:89ED 925 366? 4@>A=:42E65 3J E96 s6A2CE>6?E @7 w@>6=2?5 $64FC:EJ[ H9:49 492CE6CD 2:C4C27E 7C@> AC:G2E6 4@>A2?:6D[ 92G:?8 7=:89E 52E2 H:E996=5 7C@> E96 AF3=:4]Â k^Am
kAmQxEVD E96 D2>6 >6492?:D> E92E[ =:<6 %2J=@C $H:7E 2?5 t=@? |FD< FD6 E@ >2:?E2:? AC:G24J] xEVD F?FDF2=[Q 96 D2:5]k^Am
kAmq6?D@?[ c`[ D2:5 E96 G2DE >2;@C:EJ @7 7=:89ED 92G6 366? 56DE:?65 7@C t= !2D@ :? %6I2D @? E96 D@FE96C? 3@C56C H:E9 |6I:4@]k^Am
kAmt= !2D@ :D 9@>6 E@ E96 G2DE r2>A t2DE |@?E2?2 56E6?E:@? 46?E6C[ 2 >2<6D9:7E E6?E 724:=:EJ E92E 92D 366? 36D6E 3J 4=2:>D @7 DF3DE2?52C5 4@?5:E:@?D 2?5 2E =62DE E9C66 >:8C2?E 562E9D D:?46 :E @A6?65 :? pF8FDE]k^Am
kAm%96 s6A2CE>6?E @7 w@>6=2?5 $64FC:EJ D2:5 @?=J Q7@C @A6C2E:@?2= D64FC:EJ[ xrt 5@6D ?@E C6=62D6 :?7@C>2E:@? 4@?46C?:?8 56A@CE2E:@? 7=:89E D4965F=6D]Qk^Am
kAm%96 2:CA@CE 5:5 ?@E C6DA@?5 E@ 2 C6BF6DE 7@C 4@>>6?E]k^Am
kAm!C6G:@FD=J E96 56A2CE>6?E 2E E96 7@C67C@?E @7 6I64FE:?8 %CF>AVD 56A@CE2E:@? 5C:G6 92D 5676?565 E96 7=:89ED 2D ?646DD2CJ E@ C6>@G6 F?5@4F>6?E65 :>>:8C2?ED 8F:=EJ @7 4C:>6D E92E >2<6 E96> E96 QH@CDE @7 E96 H@CDE]QÂ k^Am
kAm|:??62A@=:D 2:CA@CE H2D E96 D46?6 @7 2 E6?D6 AC@E6DE =2DE H66< 3J C6=:8:@FD =6256CD 56>@?DEC2E:?8 282:?DE E96 @A6C2E:@? @7 xrt 7=:89ED 7C@> E96 724:=:EJ[ H:E9 @C82?:K6CD C6A@CE:?8 E92E 2C@F?5 `__ 4=6C8J 925 366? 2CC6DE65]k^Am
kAmQxrt 92D 6G6? 366? 2CC6DE:?8 2:CA@CE H@C<6CD H9:=6 E96J 2C6 @? E96 ;@3[Q D2:5 @?6 @7 E9@D6 H9@ AC@E6DE65[ C6G6C6?5 |2C:29 uFC?6DD %@==822C5 @7 w2>=:?6 r9FC49 &?:E65 |6E9@5:DE]k^Am
kAmQ(92E E9:D 25>:?:DEC2E:@? 2?5 xrt 2C6 5@:?8 :? |:??6D@E2 :D ?@E 23DEC24E A@=:4J \\ :E :D D92EE6C:?8 72>:=:6D[ EC2F>2E:K:?8 49:=5C6?[ 2?5 DAC625:?8 762C E9C@F89 @FC ?6:893@C9@@5D]Qk^Am
kAm8H^5Hk^Am
