(NewsNation) — NewsNation was on the scene at an ICE AIR operational hub where 133 migrants from Guatemala were escorted onto a deportation flight under Title 42.
Flights have been taking off from these hubs, sending more than 100 migrants back to their home countries, for the last 18 months.
Video shows migrants in custody being searched and loaded onto planes.
However, sources told NewsNation that flights bound for Colombia were halted as the country is no longer accepting repatriation flights.
While some policies are being enforced under Title 42, which is set to expire on May 11, others are not. For example, one of the fail-safes that was put in place by the Biden administration in October. Migrants from Venezuela who cross between ports of entry without the proper documents should be turned back to Mexico.
That policy was expanded to include migrants from Haiti, Cuba and Nicaragua back in January to help with the influx.
NewsNation spoke with someone named Nelson who arrived with five men from Venezuela without family in the United States. They’re hoping to work and were headed to Austin, but can’t afford to get there.
They crossed into El Paso and were sent back to Mexico. Nelson said they hopped on a dangerous train, illegally, and came to Matamoros to cross because they heard they could get in across from Brownsville, where they’ve been for three days.
Nelson showed NewsNation his government-issued phone that he keeps in bubble wrap. He said he’ll be fined $1,500 if something happens to the device. He says he was directed to check in with ICE on Thursdays.
NewsNation reached out to U.S. Customs and Border Protection regarding the lack of enforcement and what will happen with migrants from Columbia, but have not heard back.