Plane carrying ICE detainees stranded amid blizzard conditions in Portsmouth, N.H.

PORTSMOUTH, N.H. — A plane carrying US Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainees was stranded in Portsmouth, N.H., after landing early Monday morning** **amid a blizzard warning, according to two people familiar with the situation.

The flight, operated by Omni Air International, departed Harlingen, Texas, at 8:15 p.m. local time on Sunday, then landed at 1:09 a.m. on Monday at the Portsmouth International Airport, where the ICE detainees remained in the aircraft on the tarmac for about 13 hours.

The detainees were allowed to deboard the plane and enter the terminal after about 2 p.m. on Monday, according to one of the people familiar with the situation, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly about the details.

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It was not immediately clear how many people were on board or when the plane would be able to depart to continue its route. Flight records indicate the plane is a Boeing 767-300, an aircraft type with a maximum capacity of 290 seats.

The detainees received food while on board the aircraft and were expected to receive additional services inside the small airport terminal, but the situation fueled concerns and criticisms about the treatment of ICE detainees and how deportation flights are being handled.

This flight is believed to be a deportation flight, according to the ICE Flight Monitor team at Human Rights First, a nonprofit that uses public aviation data to monitor and analyze such flights. The group said at least five other deportation flights have refueled in Portsmouth since Jan. 1, en route to destinations in Asia. It was not immediately clear where this grounded flight was headed.

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The federal government operated dozens of ICE flights through Portsmouth last year, despite persistent pressure from advocates who called on local airport officials to halt such operations.

Seth Miller, a Democratic state representative from nearby Dover, N.H., who writes about aviation, said the weather in New England was well known before this flight left Texas, so it was “a bit misguided” to go ahead and land in such conditions.

Miller said the airport cannot pick and choose which airplanes to serve, so the decisions that led to this flight being stranded were made by Omni Air and the US Department of Homeland Security.

“The buck has to stop there,” he said.

A spokesperson for DHS said the itinerary was placed on hold due to blizzard conditions in Portsmouth, and the extended ground time caused the flight crew to exceed their maximum allowable duty time. That resulted in a mandatory rest period.

“Detainees are being provided catered meals, continuous access to drinking water, and appropriate restroom facilities for the duration of the delay,” the DHS spokesperson said. “All required prescription medications are being supplied at no cost, and medical personnel are available to provide proper medical care. ICE personnel are conducting regular welfare checks to ensure everyone’s well-being, comfort, and dignity while awaiting departure.”

The projected departure window has been pushed back to midnight — that is about 23 hours after arrival — once the crew rest period and “final operational coordination” are complete, the DHS spokesperson said Monday night.

Efforts to reach an Omni Air spokesperson for comment were unsuccessful. A staffer who answered the phone said the company cannot release any information, refused to identify a press liaison, and hung up. Follow-up phone calls and emails received no response.

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Miller said the ICE detainees who were stuck on the plane seem to be receiving relatively decent treatment given the situation, though he presumes they have been kept in shackles, as is typical for ICE detainees in transit.

Since the detainees still have a long flight ahead of them, they likely have many more hours to go before this “inhumane experience” is over, he said. Officials didn’t confirm whether the detainees have been kept in shackles. A reporter wasn’t granted access Monday evening to the terminal where the people are being held.

Portsmouth police said officers were dispatched to the airport Monday afternoon in response to a possible protest, but didn’t find any activity of note.

John Corbett, a spokesperson for New Hampshire Governor Kelly Ayotte, said the governor’s office is tracking the situation.

“Governor Ayotte is aware of the grounded flight and has been in communication with the Pease Development Authority,” Corbett said.

The situation sparked finger-pointing among some local officials involved in overseeing and operating the airport.

Tiffany Eddy, a spokesperson for the Portsmouth International Airport (PSM) — which is overseen by the Pease Development Authority, a quasi-governmental entity — said the airport wasn’t advised that the Omni Air flight was inbound until about 15 minutes before its arrival.

“Had we been informed in advance of their intent to land at PSM during the blizzard, we would have strongly advised against it and encouraged them to divert to another airport not being impacted by this severe winter storm,” she said.

Eddy said the business that operates the airport, Port City Air, is the entity responsible for planning weather-related contingencies, facilities, and accommodations at the airport, so further questions about how this situation was handled should be directed to Port City Air and Oklahoma-based Omni Air.

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In a statement, Port City Air said it doesn’t make decisions about flights into and out of the airport, and decisions about ICE flights are made by Homeland Security officials.

“It is our legal obligation to safely service any flights into or out of the airport,” Port City Air said. “Our operations remain open throughout this storm.”

This story has been updated to include comments from a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson.

Steven Porter can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him @reporterporter.