US Deportation Flights to West Bank Using Private Jet Tied to Trump Associate

US Deportation Flights to West Bank Using Private Jet Tied to Trump Associate — What We Know

Recent investigative reporting has uncovered that the U.S. government used a private jet owned by a Trump-associated businessman to deport Palestinian detainees to the Israeli-occupied West Bank, raising legal, ethical, and political concerns about transparency, human rights, and due process.

What Happened

According to a multi-source investigation, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) chartered a private jet owned by Gil Dezer, a Florida real estate developer and long-time business associate and donor to Donald Trump, to deport Palestinian men detained in the United States. The flights carried detainees from Arizona to Ben Gurion International Airport in Israel, after which they were reportedly transferred by Israeli security forces and released at military checkpoints in the occupied West Bank.

The first of these flights occurred on January 21, 2026, carrying at least eight Palestinian men. A subsequent flight reportedly took place on February 1, 2026. In both cases, the men were reported to have been shackled and to have arrived in the West Bank wearing prison-issued clothing with only their personal belongings in plastic bags.

Who Is Gil Dezer

Gil Dezer is a Florida property developer, head of Dezer Development, and known for building luxury real estate projects, including Trump-branded towers, in partnership with the Trump family. He has also been documented as a donor to Donald Trump’s presidential campaigns and a social associate of members of Trump’s inner circle.

The private jet used for the deportations—a 16-seat Gulfstream—was chartered by ICE through Journey Aviation, a Florida-based charter company frequently contracted by U.S. government agencies. Dezer has stated in correspondence that he was not informed about the identities of the passengers or the purpose of the flights, only the dates of use.

Controversial Logistics

These deportation flights were notable for several reasons:

Unusual use of a private jet: Deportation operations in the U.S. normally rely on domestic commercial flights or standard government arrangements. Using a chartered luxury jet—reportedly costing $400,000–$500,000 per flight—is highly atypical.
Refueling stops: The flights made multiple stopovers, including at Shannon Airport in Ireland, which drew criticism from Irish opposition politicians who called the use of the airport “reprehensible.”
Departure and arrival conditions: Detainees reportedly spent long hours in shackles and were dropped off at West Bank checkpoints rather than returned directly to their homes or countries of origin, leading to distress and confusion.

Human Rights and Legal Concerns

Human rights advocates and international law experts have raised several serious issues:

Due process and transparency: Critics argue that the deportations lacked transparency and adequate legal oversight. Human rights groups like Human Rights First have called the operation “opaque and unaccountable.”
Non-refoulement and risk of harm: Some legal experts contend that deporting individuals to a territory under occupation may violate the principle of non-refoulement, which prohibits returning people to places where they risk persecution, torture, or other serious harm.
Separation of families: Reports indicate that at least one of the deported men had lived in the U.S. for nearly a decade and had immediate family (including a partner and newborn) in the country, highlighting the human cost of the operation.

Government Responses

So far, official responses have been limited:

U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) reiterated that if courts determine an individual has no legal right to remain in the U.S., the government must deport them, but declined to comment specifically on these flights.
Israeli authorities have not publicly commented on their role in receiving those deported via these flights.
Gil Dezer has stated he was not aware of who was on the plane or the nature of its mission.

Conclusion

The revelations about the use of a private jet linked to a Trump donor to deport Palestinian detainees to the occupied West Bank highlight a complex intersection of immigration enforcement, political influence, and human rights concerns. While the U.S. government maintains that deportations follow legal rulings on residency status, the unusual nature of these flights, the conditions of the transfers, and the involvement of a politically connected private jet owner have drawn criticism from rights groups and international observers alike.

This developing situation underscores the importance of transparency, due process, and human rights safeguards in immigration policy—especially when enforcement intersects with foreign territories and vulnerable populations.

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