The Trump administration has allegedly used a private jet belonging to a past Trump donor and business partner to carry out a series of recent deportation flights, most recently a pair of removals to Israel.
The alleged flights to Tel Aviv, which departed the U.S. from Arizona in late January and earlier this week, took place on a private jet owned by property tycoon Gil Dezer, an investigation by The Guardian and +972 Magazine alleges.
Dezer, along with his father, the Israeli-American businessman Michael Dezer, have donated to past pro-Trump campaign efforts and worked with Trump on a series of Florida-based luxury projects through their company Dezer Development.
The jet used in the flights allegedly bore the company logo. Israeli outlet Haaretz reported on the arrival of the January flight, and published a photograph allegedly showing detainees stepping off a grey and black private jet towards a waiting group of security personnel.
The Independent has contacted Dezer Development, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs for comment.
The White House referred The Independent to ICE for questions regarding the alleged flights.
ICE reportedly chartered the flights through Journey Aviation, a Florida-based company that has previously been used for immigration flights.
“ICE does not contract directly with private aircraft owners or investigate the ownership of individual aircrafts used by our contractors,” a DHS spokesperson told The Independent. “All flights are arranged through approved air carriers.”
Dezer told The Guardian in an email that he was “never privy to the names” of passengers or the purposes of flights when Journey used his jet for private charters.
“The only thing I’m notified about is the dates of use,” he said.
The Independent has contacted Journey Aviation for comment.
“Per longstanding Department policy, we do not discuss the content of private diplomatic and interagency conversations,” a State Department spokesperson told The Independent.
“The Trump Administration continues to prioritize the rapid deportation of illegal immigrants, especially those with criminal records, to restore border security and public safety and protect the American people,” the spokesperson added.
Men aboard the alleged January deportation flight said they were restrained in restrictive cuffs and were later left in the cold in prison jumpsuits at a checkpoint in the occupied West Bank, alarming advocates.
“Aside from the many irregularities with the deportation of eight Palestinians on a private jet and no due process, this transfer also violates the principle of non-refoulement, which prohibits the forcible return of individuals to a country where there are substantial grounds for believing that the person would be at risk of irreparable harm upon return, including persecution, torture, ill treatment or other serious human rights violations,” Gissou Nia, director of the Strategic Litigation Project at the Atlantic Council, told +972.
The Dezers have deep ties to Trump and have partnered on six Trump-branded real estate projects, according to their website.
In a recent interview, Gil Dezer credited working with Trump for his eventual real estate partnerships with high-end brands like Bentley.
“It really all started out with Trump,” Dezer told the business media brand “traded.”
“I love him,” Dezer added. “I’ve known him now for twentysomething years. I was at his wedding. He was at my wedding. We’re good friends. Very proud that he’s in the office. Very proud of the job he’s doing.”
The Independent has contacted the Trump Organization, the president’s luxury business conglomerate, for comment.
Last year, Dezer’s lavish 50th birthday party featured people wearing Trump costumes.
Dezer has described Trump as a childhood hero of his and said he once wrote a book report about the New York businessman before they were ever partners.
“You know what I like about my life?” Gil Dezer told the Miami New Times in 2004. “How many 29-year-olds do you know who can pick up the phone and get Trump on the other end?”
Gil Dezer also has noted ties to Israel. His father was born and raised in Tel Aviv, and Gil Dezer is a member of the charity Florida Friends of Israeli Defense Forces, according to his website.
The Dezer jet has previously been used by the Trump administration for deportation flights to Kenya, Liberia, Guinea, and Eswatini, according to the advocacy group Human Rights First, which tracks flight data, and the news site Zeteo, which reported on the flight to Eswatini.
Deportation flights aboard Journey Aviation-chartered jets cost about $35,000 per person, according to a 2020 estimate from the Miami Herald.
The Trump administration has been accused of directing deportation flight-related contracts to allies in the past.
Companies tied to a former Trump State Department official and donor to a Trump-aligned think tank allegedly netted around $1 billion in contracts tied to deportation flights and aircraft.
Deportation flights have been a persistent source of criticism for the companies involved.
Avelo, a former Homeland Security subcontractor, announced earlier this year that it was no longer conducting deportation flights, citing financial reasons as well as reportedly talking about the decision internally as a way to avoid “political controversy.”
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