Deportation Flights Surge 80%, Spewing Massive Carbon Emissions

A new analysis reveals that Donald Trump’s mass deportation campaign has driven an 80% increase in immigration enforcement flights, pumping out hundreds of thousands of tons of carbon dioxide and accelerating climate change. Data shared exclusively with the Guardian shows that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s air operations emitted an estimated 335,876 tonnes of carbon in 2025—an 88% jump from the previous year. And the first four months of 2026 suggest the agency is on pace to add even more to global warming.

Savitri Arvey, director of research and analysis for refugee and immigrant rights at Human Rights First, called the increase “staggering,” noting both the number of flights and the expanded range of destinations. The flights are part of Trump’s promised crackdown, but the environmental toll is drawing fresh scrutiny.

In other news, the U.S. struck Iranian missile sites and mine-laying vessels, testing a fragile seven-week ceasefire. Central Command called the strikes “defensive” and stressed they don’t signal the end of the truce. Meanwhile, Trump faces backlash from his own party over reports that a peace deal could free billions in frozen Iranian assets, echoing the 2015 nuclear deal he once scrapped.

Elsewhere, the World Health Organization warned that an Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is “outpacing” response efforts, with 220 suspected deaths so far. The rare Bundibugyo ebolavirus has no approved treatment or vaccine, and neighboring countries are at high risk.