

‘Like Amazon Prime but with human beings’: inside Trump’s deportation machine
Sep 26, 2025
In this engaging discussion, Maanvi Singh, an immigration reporter, and Oliver Laughland, Southern Bureau chief at Guardian US, uncover the dark world of Trump’s deportation machine. They detail the discovery of a secret deportation hub in Alexandria, exposing the harrowing experiences of detainees. The conversation covers how rapid transfers obstruct legal access, the complexities of family separations, and the dire conditions in El Salvador’s prisons. Their investigation reveals the chilling impact of these practices on immigrant communities and legal systems.
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Deportations Hidden In Plain Sight
- Oliver Laughland found lines of shackled detainees being loaded onto planes visible from a nearby golf course, highlighting secrecy and normalcy side-by-side.
- The image symbolised how rapid deportations are embedded into everyday American life.
Leaked Flight Data Shows Scale
- The leaked Global Crossing Airlines data covered ~100 days and tracked 44,000 detained or deported immigrants on charter flights.
Domestic Transfers Obscure Due Process
- Many transfers were domestic, moving detainees far from families and lawyers before final removal flights.