Deportation Plane Flew Portugal's World Cup Team

What if the plane that flew your favorite soccer team is the same one that deported hundreds of people — some of them against a judge's direct order? That is not a hypothetical. It happened during the 2026 World Cup, and the evidence is on video.

On July 4, 2026, Portugal's men's national soccer team flew to Dallas on a Global Crossing Airlines (GlobalX) aircraft with tail number N837VA. Flight records reviewed by The Guardian show that same plane flew removal-related ICE flights the day before and the day after carrying the Portuguese athletes. The same aircraft appeared in a video posted by El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele in March 2025, when more than 200 Venezuelans were flown to the notorious Cecot mega-prison — a transfer a federal judge had ordered to stop. The planes landed in El Salvador anyway.

According to data provided to The Guardian by ICE Flight Monitor, a project housed at Human Rights First, this single aircraft has conducted more than 1,580 removal-related flights since May 2023. That makes it one of the most heavily used planes in the Trump administration's mass deportation operation. Detainees transported on GlobalX flights have described being shackled at hands and feet, given no notice to their families or lawyers, and not told where the plane was headed. Some Venezuelan men sent to Cecot on this aircraft say they were wrongly accused of gang membership and suffered physical and psychological abuse after arrival.

Portugal is not alone. The Guardian previously reported that France's national team flew GlobalX at least three times during the tournament, including on July 12 en route to Dallas. The Daily Mail reported that England and Iran also used the airline. FIFA organized the July 4 GlobalX flight for Portugal, according to Ricardo Quaresma of the Portuguese football federation. FIFA has not responded to requests for comment. Anthony Enriquez, an attorney at the Robert & Ethel Kennedy Human Rights Center, told The Guardian that this dual use of the same planes builds "normalization" around human rights abuses. He said sports federations can "make the conscious choice to withdraw from their contracts" with deportation airlines. Earlier in 2026, budget carrier Avelo Airlines ended its ICE deportation contract, citing low profitability — a decision that followed thousands of public petitions against the arrangement.

What this means if you are in removal proceedings

• If you have a removal order and fear deportation, contact an immigration attorney immediately. A judge's order can sometimes stop a flight — but as the Cecot case shows, the government does not always comply, so legal action must happen fast.
• Make sure your lawyer and a trusted family member always know your location if you are in ICE detention. Detainees on GlobalX flights have been moved without notice to anyone.
• If you believe you were wrongly deported or transferred in violation of a court order, organizations like Human Rights First and the Robert & Ethel Kennedy Human Rights Center document these cases and may be able to help.
• If you are not yet in proceedings but are undocumented or have a pending case, ask your attorney about a deportation defense plan — including what to do if ICE contacts you or your family.

What to do, step by step — see our guide “Appealing to the BIA”.