The Metro: Wayne County Airport Authority does not have contracts with ICE, but flights will continue

January 28, 2026

The Wayne County Airport Authority says it does not have contracts with ICE, and agreements for deportation flights are between airline carriers and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Noah Kincade of Detroit Documenters joins The Metro to share notes from the latest WCAA board of directors meeting.

APTOPIX Venezuela US Deportees

A Venezuelan deported from the United States shows his hands in handcuffs and chains after landing at Simon Bolivar International Airport on a plane of deportees in Maiquetia, Venezuela, Monday, Jan. 19, 2026.

The Wayne County Airport Authority (WCAA) does not have contracts with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), but that doesn’t mean deportation flights won’t continue out of Willow Run Airport.

Chad Newtown, CEO of the Wayne County Airport Authority told attendees at the WCAA board of director’s meeting last week that ICE operations in and out of Willow Run Airport are between airline carriers and the federal agency.

Responding to questions from the public and media about whether the WCAA has contracts with ICE, Newton said the WCAA does not have any direct agreements with ICE.

“The [Wayne County Airport Authority] does not have any involvement in the agreements between airlines and their partners, including federal agencies, as long as those agreements meet legal and safety requirements.”

In 2025, there were over 150 flights in and out of Willow Run Airport, according to reporting from the Detroit News.

Can the Wayne County Airport Authority interfere with ICE operations?

The Wayne County Airport Authority, which operates Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport and Willow Run Airport, does not receive any tax support, but it does receive federal funding for capital projects.

That means it must make the airport publicly available to airline carriers without discrimination of flights they service, including federal agencies.

Who runs the Wayne County Airport Authority?

The Wayne County Airport Authority is an independent, governmental entity that has an appointed board of directors. The appointments are made by elected officials:

  • Wayne County Executive (4)
  • Governor (2)
  • Wayne County Commission (1)

Noah Kincade, coordinator for Detroit Documenters by Outlier Media, joined The Metro to discuss the recent Wayne County Airport Authority meeting.

Shiva Shahmir is a Detroit Documenter who attended that meeting and contributed to this story.

The next Wayne County Airport Authority board of directors meeting is February 18, 2026.

Detroit Documenters by Outlier Media trains and pays citizens to attend public meetings and monitor local government and elected officials.

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Authors

  • David Leins is the senior producer of WDET’s daily news and culture program, The Metro. He has produced several award-winning podcasts and multimedia series at WDET including Tracked and Traced, Science of Grief and COVID Diaries, which earned a National Edward R. Murrow Award for Excellence in Innovation. He previously led WDET’s StoryMakers program. David has an M.A. in Media Arts and Studies from Wayne State University, and a B.A. in anthropology from Grand Valley State University with a minor in Arabic. David teaches podcasting at Wayne State University and is an alumnus of the Transom Audio Storytelling Workshop.

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