Face of Nation International : Nearly 300 Americans stranded in Central America due to the spread of the coronavirus have returned to the U.S. this week aboard flights used by U.S. immigration authorities to deport people back to their home countries.
Flights returned with the citizens aboard to cities in Arizona, Texas and Louisiana during the past week.
The Americans have been brought back to the U.S. on the return legs of three separate removal flights to Central America, Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials said. Those return flights usually are empty except for pilots and staff. Since Sunday, 273 Americans have flown back to the U.S. on removal flights, said Mary Houtmann, an ICE spokesperson.
The total includes 128 Americans flown back from Honduras to Alexandria, Louisiana on Sunday, 81 Americans flown back from El Salvador to San Antonio, Texas on Tuesday and 64 Americans flown back from El Salvador to Mesa, Arizona on Wednesday. More Americans were expected to be flown back to the U.S. from Central America on Friday, Houtmann said.
ICE has worked with the U.S. State Department to locate Americans stranded in Central America, she said.
There have been numerous media reports in recent days of Americans in Latin America expressing frustration with the U.S. State Department over not being able to return home due to the coronavirus. “The embassy has completely abandoned us,” Susie Walden, an American stranded in Lima, Peru, told BuzzFeed News. “The government is unlikely to bring people home.” On March 18, nine Democratic U.S. Senators sent a letter to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo expressing concern over Americans stuck abroad due to the coronavirus pandemic.
“We are particularly concerned about an increasing number of reports that Americans and their family members have been unable to leave areas affected by COVID-19 and return home,” the letter states. “In particular, Americans in Honduras, Morocco, Peru and Tunisia, among other countries, have reported to our offices that they are encountering difficulties in obtaining support from U.S. Embassies and Consulates, including to arrange commercial flights home. (Source: USA Today News- USA)
