A group of protesters gathered at the corner of Mockingbird Lane and Cedar Springs Road on the edge of Dallas Love Field on June 13, calling for the end of alleged ICE Air operations at the airport.
The group of an estimated 50 demonstrators, including some dressed in soccer jerseys ahead of the first FIFA World Cup Match in North Texas on Sunday and one dressed as Lady Liberty, carried signs that said, “ICE Air Deports at Love Field” and “ICE Out of Dallas,” among others.
The demonstration came after a press conference this week in which members of Clergy League for Emergency Action and Response (CLEAR DFW) spoke about research they said shows an increase in ICE Air operations through Dallas Love Field. CLEAR DFW members cited flight tracking data and research by advocacy groups, including El Movimiento DFW, Democratic Socialists of America North Texas, DFW Young Active Labor Leaders, Indivisible Dallas, and Sunrise Movement Dallas.
The advocacy groups said at the press conference that the number of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)-related flights operating through Dallas rose from 15 in 2024 to 159 in 2025 and is on track to reach about 293 flights in 2026. The groups say many of those flights are operated via Atlantic Aviation, a fixed-base operator at Love Field that provides services for private, charter, and government aircraft.
The Dallas Department of Aviation previously told People Newspapers that Love Field does not manage or oversee federal immigration enforcement operations and does not have authority over federal decisions regarding the movement of individuals in federal custody.
Organizers of the protest Saturday say they will continue their research and are planning another protest in two weeks.
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