As flights increase, Hanscom commission says ICE is withholding information

"The body, which includes representatives from Lincoln, Lexington, Concord, and Bedford, is tasked with educating the public about what is happening at Hanscom. With intense public interest surrounding ICE's use of the airport, the commission's members are trying to obtain basic information from the agency so that it can be shared with residents."

"At the very least, members want to know how many ICE-related flights are taking off and landing at the airport, and the numbers of people on each flight, Christopher Eliot, a commission member from Lincoln, told Boston.com. 'We're not getting enough information, but we're persistent,' he said."

"Hanscom is a civilian airport operated by the Massachusetts Port Authority that shares airspace with an adjacent U.S. Air Force base. There were 114 ICE flights that departed from Hanscom between the beginning of 2025 and Nov. 30, according to a report from Human Rights First. This represents a 143% increase from the same period last year."

Hanscom Field Advisory Commission members from Lincoln, Lexington, Concord and Bedford are attempting to obtain flight and passenger data related to ICE operations at Hanscom Field. The commission seeks counts of ICE-related departures, arrivals and numbers of people on each flight to provide a public record. Human Rights First recorded 114 ICE flights from Hanscom from early 2025 through Nov. 30, a 143% increase year-over-year. Hanscom is a civilian airport run by the Massachusetts Port Authority that shares airspace with an adjacent U.S. Air Force base. ICE uses airline brokers and subcontracted carriers for these flights. Local officials report limited cooperation from federal authorities and persistence in seeking information.

Read at Boston.com