Two regional airports in northeastern Ohio have handled nearly 600 flights contracted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement this year, becoming significant transit points in the Trump administration's immigration enforcement operations, according to an investigation published by The Guardian.
Youngstown-Warren and Akron-Canton airports have each recorded hundreds of ICE-related flights in 2026, according to ICE Flights Monitor. Youngstown-Warren, which has no scheduled commercial passenger flights, recorded 398 such flights in 2025.
Many flights transport detained immigrants between facilities rather than directly deporting them abroad. Some carry passengers to Alexandria, Louisiana, a transit point for immigration detention and deportation operations, The Guardian reports.
Erin Bracken-Sanchez, a military veteran who monitors flights at Youngstown-Warren, told the news site that the airports' isolation helps keep the operations out of public view. "Who's here? No one's here; no one knows," she said.
The investigation also documented aviation safety concerns. On September 28, an Eastern Air Express aircraft collided with another plane operated by the same ICE contractor at Akron-Canton airport. No injuries were reported.
Separately, the Federal Aviation Administration proposed a $65,000 fine against Eastern Air Express in July over alleged failures to conduct required random drug and alcohol testing on 26 employees performing safety-sensitive duties.
The investigation comes as Trump has made immigration a central issue in Ohio's midterm election campaign. Speaking Monday at a rally in Youngstown, the president attacked Somali immigrants and revived debunked allegations about Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio.
Trump described Somali immigrants as "low IQ" and celebrated what he claimed was an exodus of Haitians from Springfield, according to PBS NewsHour. "They're getting their town back," Trump said, referring to Springfield's longtime residents.
The president made the remarks while campaigning for Republican Sen. Jon Husted, who faces former Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown in November, and gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy.
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