Particle.news
Download on the App Store

ICE’s Use of ‘WRAP’ Restraint on Deportation Flights Faces Fresh Scrutiny

A 2023 DHS civil-rights review flagged policy gaps; ICE later rejected a stricter classification.

Overview

  • Recent reporting and federal lawsuits describe the WRAP being used punitively on detainees during long deportation flights.
  • The Associated Press identified people restrained in WRAP suits since 2020, with witnesses in multiple countries corroborating additional cases this year.
  • A Nigerian plaintiff says he and others were bound in WRAPs for a 16-hour flight to Ghana after asking to speak with a lawyer.
  • DHS defends restraints on deportation flights as a longstanding safety protocol for ICE and has offered no detailed policy beyond that position.
  • Safe Restraints Inc. confirms it built an ICE-specific WRAP with features for long flights, including a front ring for limited hand movement and soft elbow cuffs.