Deportations to Venezuela begin once again as migrants continue to stream north.
by Jeff Abbott, The Progressive
President Joe Biden officially renewed deportations to Venezuela for the first time in years, with more than 100 Venezuelans being deported back on a flight chartered by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on October 18. The deportations follow high level negotiations between the two countries, which also resulted in the United States decreasing sanctions against the South American country and an opening for free elections.
According to the Biden Administration, the flight is the first of multiple flights per week headed to the South American country. The announcement comes months after the United States renewed deportations to Cuba.

The images of the deportation of Venezuelans with their hands and legs shackled—as if they were criminals—their lack of shoelaces, and the despair on their faces, is repeated daily. Each day, ICE-chartered deportation flights leave airports across the United States to return migrants to dangerous situations across the hemisphere.
According to Tom Cartwright, who tracks deportation flights with Witness At the Border, between 15 to 25 percent of all migrants encountered by Customs and Border Protection (CPB) agents are deported. “Deportation is a cornerstone of the United States’ immigration policy,” Cartwright tells The Progressive. “It injects a risk [for migrants] of being sent back to their home country. Without that deterrent, [the U.S.] feels neutered”
Recent Posts
Gazing On Gaza: The Gordian Knot Of Israel And The Middle East
August 7, 2025
Take Action Now Today, in 2025, Gaza has become the world’s living proof that there are horrors for which words like “tragedy” or “crisis” are…
The Growing Fight For Green Economic Populism
August 6, 2025
Take Action Now In Chicago and across the country, unions and progressive leaders are implementing policies to address the climate crisis while…
Trump’s War On Big Law Means It’s Harder To Challenge The Administration
August 6, 2025
Take Action Now Some of America’s largest law firms are refusing to take pro bono and paid legal work from groups that seek to hold the government to…
Symposium: Why Was Japan The Only Nuclear Holocaust In 80 Years?
August 6, 2025
Take Action Now On the anniversary of Hiroshima and Nagasaki we ask 17 experts whether ‘deterrence’ is the real legacy. Or not.By…