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Nick Benson

@ottergoose.net
3.9K followers 337 following 1.1K posts

Currently: hyper-fixated on the aviation angle of ICE’s mass detention apparatus. Generally: nerding out over geography, weather, politics, and photography of Minnesota's railroad and aviation scene. Chief AvGeek at @JetTip.net. 📍 Burnsville, Minnesota

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Peter Sagal @petersagal.bsky.social · 1h
The Attorney General just announced that the DOJ has filed a formal complaint against Federal District judges in Minnesota -- all but one of them, in fact -- because they did interviews with the NYTimes for this article. www.nytimes.com/2026/09/17/u...
nytimes.com
Trump’s Minnesota Surge Threatened Democracy, Judge Warns (Gift Article)
In a rare interview, Patrick Schiltz, who served as the federal court’s chief judge last winter, called the administration’s actions “a grave threat to the rule of law.”
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Nick Benson @ottergoose.net · 18h
24 detainees were flown out of Minnesota today by ICE Air, two women, and 22 men. Each of them had to stand in the rain for a few minutes while they were frisked and had their shackles checked. If a loved one may have been aboard, full video is here: youtube.com/watch?v=gxeMuYDJ3Ns
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Nick Benson @ottergoose.net · 21h
Supreme Court rules US can deport people to countries other than their nation of origin, overruling two lower courts. This, of course, is bullshit.
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Gillian Brockell @gillianbrockell.com · 28/09/2026
ICE’s charter airlines are basically impossible to boycott, because only one also offers ticketed commercial flights. But there are other ways to affect their bottom lines. We have a working theory of the case, y’all. Hit them in the pocketbook, and suddenly the “impossible” is possible.
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Nick Benson @ottergoose.net · 28/09/2026
This is a BFD - one of the charter airlines doing ICE flights has been sold off, thanks to pressure from smart folks with spines. Raise a glass to the financial misfortune of those who’ve been profiting off of ICE’s detention apparatus; may they not be the last.
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Nick Benson @ottergoose.net · 28/09/2026
I’m not sure what was going on Thursday, but we had more conversations during this session than we had in the previous 7-8 combined - people are amped up. Might be elections taking place, might be no kids, who knows, but engagement is good. We’ll be back on Oct 18, 22, and 25 (Sun, Thu, Sun).
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JJ in DC @jjindc.bsky.social · 08/06/2026
“Every single ICE flight that lands in Denver may violate local health and safety laws. I urge the council to do anything and everything it can to monitor these flights, even if it can't prevent them, and to hold accountable ICE's collaborators, including Key Lime Air/Denver Air Connection.”
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Nick Benson @ottergoose.net · 28/09/2026
Now *this* is some amazing kitsch political messaging.
A big foot holds a sign about missing Pete Stauber.
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Aaron Reichlin-Melnick @reichlinmelnick.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
Back online this morning and here is another update that was posted late last night. Fox News reporter Bill Melugin got Trump himself on the phone late last night to confirm that this policy, whatever it was (they’re calling it a miscommunication), was going to be overturned.
Bill Melugin @BillMelugin• 9h
I've spoken on the phone with President Trump and nine ICE & DHS sources about this today. Here's what l've learned.
Yes, this verbal guidance did go out to ICE offices across the country last night. I've spoken with ICE agents who received it & were shocked & frustrated by it. It's unclear who it started with. However, I'm told it's erroneous, was some type of
"miscommunication" during conversations about prioritizing "worst first", and there is no change in immigration enforcement policy.President Trump tells me anyone in the country illegally remains "on the table" for ICE arrest & deportation. I'm also told new guidance went out to ICE field offices tonight to reaffirm this and that yes, arrests of illegal aliens and "collaterals" without additional criminal history will continue. ICE sources confirm to me they received the new guidance.
I'm not really sure what happened here - but everyone is on the same page, including President Trump, in telling me that his immigration enforcement agenda isn't scaling back.
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𝓙𝓮𝓭𝓲 𝓢𝓴𝔂𝔀𝓪𝓵𝓴𝓮𝓻 🇺🇸 🌊🌊🌊 @jedi-skywalker.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
Ms. Rachel: “We’re putting kids in detention centers where they have water that makes them sick and they’re being traumatized and the pediatricians I’m talking to are saying they’re being tortured. We’re torturing kids 0-3 when their brain’s rapidly developing. It’s a choice”
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Stacy Kess: the revolution will be accessible. @stacykess.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
Ahh yes, famous sanctuary cities such as *checks notes* Dodge City, KS.
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Nick Benson @ottergoose.net · 26/09/2026
A USAF C-32, which would incorrectly/colloquially be referred to as “Air Force 2,” has landed at MSP, and went to the Reserve Base. Would guess Hegseth related. 📡 adsb.lol/?icao=adfeba 📺 youtube.com/live/wWm-kbryDDQ
youtube.com
24/7 MSP Webcam - Minneapolis / St. Paul Airport - You Control The Cams!
YouTube video by MNCam
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Nick Benson @ottergoose.net · 26/09/2026
It’s an honor to know Dana Miller, and the other folks in Denver, who are getting shit done. DEN will likely be the next airport, following Seattle, to mandate ICE flights are loaded and unloaded on camera, and provide stats that aren’t coming from activists/labor. MSP will get there, eventually…
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Nick Benson @ottergoose.net · 26/09/2026
A woman and an elderly man among the 24 shackled detainees loaded onto ICE Air today at Signature Aviation's facility at Minneapolis-St. Paul International. If a loved one may have been on the flight, full video can be seen here: youtube.com/watch?v=87LQru0HiSg It was a busy week; please scroll 🧵👇
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Le Monde in English @english.lemonde.fr · 25/09/2026
Amnesty International calls for ICE to be abolished
lemonde.fr
Amnesty International calls for ICE to be abolished
In a report titled 'We Had Whistles, They Had Guns,' the NGO documents widespread human rights violations committed by ICE in the United States.
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Minnesota 50501 @mn50501.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
We’re at MSP Terminal 1, across from bag claim 10 until 9pm tonight! Stop by to grab a magnet, pin, and chat about ICE flights and the complicity of Delta Airlines.
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Gillian Brockell @gillianbrockell.com · 24/09/2026
NYT’s writeup definitely drives the story forward. But it seems to be framed around a lot of documents coming from the lying liars who lie without confirming their accuracy independently? No mention of Ghana, Liberia, or Gitmo landings. And Todd Blanche says they’re going to SCOTUS ASAP. 🙄
On Thursday, as news of the ruling spread inside the U.S. government, officials quickly moved to take deportees off flights to third countries such as Costa Rica, Honduras, and the Central African Republic, according to documents obtained by The Times.the tide of illegal immigration," Todd Blanche, the attorney general, said. "We will immediately seek relief from the Supreme Court, which previously granted a stay in this very same case."
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Aaron Reichlin-Melnick @reichlinmelnick.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
An ICE official desposed for this case was so evasive during a deposition that the judge declared her not credible. At one point, when asked to give a rough estimate of how many people were being held at 26 Federal Plaza in NYC in June 2025, she responded with "there's no such thing as an average."
Despite these facts, ICE officials – particularly Zanello – at other points in this case have attempted to downplay the level of overcrowding that existed during the summer of 2025. As the day-to-day supervisor of the tenth-floor hold rooms who was present on the tenth floor on at least most days from 7:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., she was quite evasive about how many people generally were held there at a time. [see Footnote 114 in next image] 

She would not provide even an estimate. In addition to her unbelievable claims that she could not recall approximately how many people were being held at any given time and that there is no such thing as an average number of people who were being heldFootnote 114: (“Q. Over the summer of 2025 while you were there . . . there were often 100 people held on the [tenth-]floor hold rooms at a time. Right? A. I would have to look at the day. Q. What is your best recollection as you sit here of the average number of people who [were] being held in the [tenth-]floor hold rooms in July 2025? A. There is no average that you can provide . . . . [T]he best I could do was a high and a low. Q. Okay. What’s the high and the low? A. I don’t know. Q. . . . [L]et’s take one time period each day. Let’s take noon . . . . What is your best recollection of how many people were being held there at noon in July? A. . . . . I would have to look at a specific date and time to give you that number . . . . Q. Okay. I’m asking you how many people do you recollect being held? A. It depends on the day. I would have to look at the day. Q. But you have no recollection of what the numbers were like as you sit here today under oath? A. It could have been zero. It could have been max. I don’t know. I would have to look at the day. Q. Okay. Give me a rough estimate of one of the most crowded days you can remember? A. I would have to look at the day. I’m not going to guess on a number. Q. Fair to say that at times there were more than a hundred people at a time? A. I would have to look at the day . . . . Q. But sitting here today you cannot even give a rough estimate of how many people were there? . . . . [A.]Footnote 14 continued.
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Nick Benson @ottergoose.net · 24/09/2026
Our ICE Air tracking work here at MSP is featured in this report; thank you @amnesty-usa.bsky.social 🫡
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Tim Buktu @mntimbuktu.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
I am a disabled artist and I love to give everything away. Unfortunately, I am on social security and I can't afford to continue without financial help. Here's a link. gofund.me/e1508eb1f #artist #protestart #iceout #fuckice #ice youtube.com/shorts/PJh7Q...
youtube.com
8 months of Protest Art.
YouTube video by MNTimBuktu
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Nick Benson @ottergoose.net · 24/09/2026
This is coincident with reports of increased ICE abductions around the Twin Cities; I was expecting another large load for tomorrow’s usual flight, and instead we’re getting an entire extra flight today.
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Nick Benson @ottergoose.net · 24/09/2026
The entirety of this thread is worth following, and as of 3:00 AM CDT, the story isn’t yet done.
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Gillian Brockell @gillianbrockell.com · 23/09/2026
ICE snatched up a Senegalese college basketball player with an ACL injury in a Kentucky airport. She’s “in so much pain” and needs surgery, but is being transferred from camp to camp with little more than ibuprofen. www.kentucky.com/news/state/k...
A picture of Amina Seck in her Kentucky State jersey on a basketball court.
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Nick Benson @ottergoose.net · 24/09/2026
Remember when the GOP was running against the Democrats taking away hamburgers?
McDonald's bets on chicken to win back diners as beef prices soar
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Gillian Brockell @gillianbrockell.com · 23/09/2026
SCOOP: ICE is trying to ignore the appeals court decision striking down its third-country removal policy, using the thinnest of legal technicalities as a justification. It wants to expel a Peruvian man to the Central African Republic tomorrow. prospect.org/2026/09/23/i...
prospect.org
ICE Is Trying to Ignore Court’s Decision Striking Down Third-Country Removals - The American Prospect
Immigration officials want to send a Peruvian man to the Central African Republic within hours, court filings show.
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Nick Benson @ottergoose.net · 23/09/2026
Didn’t anticipate seeing Garden City, KS and Casper, WY on the ICE Air network map.
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JJ in DC @jjindc.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
🧵 Excellent presentation from @ottergoose.net on how ICE Air observations work at one airport (Minneapolis/St. Paul). Our network currently monitors dozens of airports across the United States on a daily basis.
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Nick Benson @ottergoose.net · 23/09/2026
Here are the slides from my presentation at today's Documenting the Impact of DHS Activity in Minnesota conference at the U of M - Watching ICE Air at MSP: How many are they taking away? This work is done entirely by volunteers; help MN50501 cover our airport parking fees: mn50501.org/donate 🧵👇
Watching ICE Air at MSP
How many are they taking away?
Nick Benson, MN50501, September 22, 2026Background

Self-employed
* Smart flight alert app for airplane nerds
* Got interested in aviation angle of ICE’s detention apparatus in early 2025
* Got serious about ICE in October 2025
* The most important work I’ll ever doWhat is ICE Air?

*ICE Air is a conglomerate of charter airlines that fly detainees between local prisons, detention centers, and out of the country
* “Shuffle” flights are domestic
* Detainees are shackled before/during/after
* Denver Air Connection / Key Lime, Global Crossing, Eastern Air Express
* Akin to FedEx or Amazon, hub/spoke
* ~65,000 currently in ICE detention,
~70% don’t have a criminal conviction ICE Air at MSP

* Shuffle flights, taking detainees to detention centers via Alexandria, LA and El Paso, TX

* 2-3 flights per day during Metro Surge; now 2-3 per week

* ICE vehicles carry detainees to/from the airport from Whipple

* Loaded at Signature Aviation, the private jet terminal

* Started counting in November
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Nick Benson @ottergoose.net · 23/09/2026
Our team observed 18 loaded, and one unloaded, on today’s flight at MSP.
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Nick Benson @ottergoose.net · 22/09/2026
Honored to be at the U of M connecting with other folks doing fascist analytics here in Minnesota today. We’ll be presenting our flight tracking work at 11:15 in the legal track breakout session.
An auditorium, with a speaker at a podium, and large screen reading, “Documenting the Impact of DHS Activity in Minnesota.”
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Aaron Reichlin-Melnick @reichlinmelnick.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
Stay tuned for more on this from mainstream reporting hopefully later today, but Bob's got the gist of it; last week, it appears that ICE began disappearing people from the Online Detainee Locator System the moment they get a final order of removal. Yes, this is as deeply screwed up as it sounds.
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Tim Buktu @mntimbuktu.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
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Nick Benson @ottergoose.net · 21/09/2026
Our flight tracking work is included in "They're Here," a short horror documentary about Metro Surge. It premiered at the Venice Film Festival, and makes its Minnesota debut on Wed, Oct 7. Made by an Oscar-winning filmmaker, I'm confident it's well-done and will be really difficult to watch.
eventbrite.com
"They're Here" Screening @ Riverview Theater
Join us for an early screening of "They're Here," a short horror documentary about the ICE occupation of Minneapolis with a Q&A to follow
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JJ in DC @jjindc.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
🏛️ MAJOR WIN in court against third country deportations. The fight isn’t over ✊
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Nick Benson @ottergoose.net · 18/09/2026
No fancy video review to share, but team reports 27 loaded, 0 unloaded, on today’s ICE Air flight at MSP.
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Gillian Brockell @gillianbrockell.com · 17/09/2026
After a closer look at the IG report, here are the clues I found indicating an "Alligator Alcatraz" cover-up. FWIW, I don't think the DHS OIG was in the conspiracy, I think they were in way over their heads. prospect.org/2026/09/17/a...
prospect.org
Alligator Alcatraz’s Tiny Cages Were Likely Even Tinier - The American Prospect
Appalling as photos showing phone booth–sized cages at the Florida camp are, the truth is likely much worse.
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Nick Benson @ottergoose.net · 17/09/2026
That’s pretty cool, @mntimbuktu.bsky.social! Thank you!
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Tim Buktu @mntimbuktu.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
@ottergoose.net Has been documenting ICE detainee deportation flights since the beginning. When I reached out to do a portrait, all he wanted was attention for @mn50501.bsky.social mn50501.org youtube.com/shorts/XafJQ...
youtube.com
Photographer Nick from MN 50501. Pen and Ink Drawing Timelapse.
YouTube video by MNTimBuktu
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Nick Benson @ottergoose.net · 16/09/2026
MSP’s airport authority, the MAC, who’ll have members appointed by @amyklobuchar.com after she’s elected, has dropped the ball repeatedly with respect to ICE, and continues to work against the interests of our community. Kudos to the workers, but fuck MSP’s spineless leadership.
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Guardian US @us.theguardian.com · 15/09/2026
ICE is arresting a record number of pregnant women and teenagers, according to government documents obtained by the Guardian. At the same time, the agency appears to have lost count of how many suffered a miscarriage. 🧵
Two charts side by side. The first shows the number of pregnant people in ICE detention, which peaks in November 2025. The second shows the number of miscarriages recorded by ICE, until October 2025, when ICE said it has no updated information on the number of miscarriages.
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Brad Tabke @bradtabke.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
“Tabke’s bill, which he (Hudson) voted against, came before the issue had fully entered the public consciousness, Hudson said.” So, the GOP voted unanimously to kill one of my Flock bills in committee because...I was too early?
startribune.com
Voters want to talk about Flock cameras. Candidates are leaning in.
The controversial automated license plate readers have stirred strong emotions across the political spectrum.
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Nick Benson @ottergoose.net · 15/09/2026
53 detainees were loaded onto today's ICE Air flight at MSP, the most on a single plane since Metro Surge. ICE is still here in Minnesota. If a loved one may have been on the flight, full footage is here: youtube.com/watch?v=cmV1t-kL62U
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Kat Abughazaleh @katmabu.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
We might not have gotten our parking meters back BUT thanks to Gillian’s reporting and a lot of determined people, we HAVE been an extreme pain in the ass for Omni, ICE, and everyone who is aiding and abetting their human trafficking operation. Good work, everyone.
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Nick Benson @ottergoose.net · 15/09/2026
@gillianbrockell.com is a boss ass bitch for raising hell about this over the summer. The private equity firm buying Chicago's parking meters will have to sell the airline it owns that operates (operated?) ICE Air flights. Turns out flying people around in chains is bad for business. Who'da thunk?
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Tim Buktu @mntimbuktu.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
Check out my piece Agitator if you go to the Minnesota State Fair.
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Ian Coldwater 🧊🚫 @lookitup.baby · 12/09/2026
“Chinga la migra, which for the non-Spanish speakers in the audience, means ‘we find ICE’s activities to be problematic’”
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ashley fairbanks @ziibiing.com · 12/09/2026
i am incredibly excited to share our research about how paying people’s rent through mutual aid made an impact on minnesota this year we accidentally collected more data than anyone ever has for an effort like this, and can very seriously say we prevented an eviction bubble that everyone expected
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madi mcvan @madisonmcvan.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
I’ll be presenting on what habeas petitions can tell us about people detained during Metro Surge. Looking forward to hearing about all the research that’s been done so far and the projects underway.
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ashley fairbanks @ziibiing.com · 12/09/2026
we tracked months of rent payments to an estimated 13,000 families. the expected cost of rehousing those families, had they entered eviction, would be north of $218 million dollars. keeping them housed cost around $38-40 million
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Nick Benson @ottergoose.net · 12/09/2026
1. I can’t wait to attend this. 2. I’m genuinely annoyed I’ll be speaking at the same time as @ziibiing.com - she helped us get a fuckton of dashcams.
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