ICE aircraft denied access to Boeing Field by King County

[Live2Learn]

https://www.kuow.org/stories/two-washington-airports-risk-millions-in-funding-if-they-dont-cooperate-with-ice

I wonder if this dustup might affect positioning of CAP aircraft?  Or other Federal aviation assets?  Other Washington cities are attempting to limit enforcement of Federal immigration law on surface transportation modes.

[TheSkyHornet]

Does CAP in WAWG perform functions related to the criminal investigation of inadmissibles and alien residents?

[NIN]

Oh dear.

I assume that airport has been the recipient of Federal Aviation Administration Airport Improvement Grants. Denying a legitimate aviation activity access to a publicly funded airport tends to cause the FAA to want their money back....

[PHall]

The airport might have a loop hole here. They're not denying the ICE chartered aircraft permission to land, they just revoked permission for that one company to operate out of the field. Plus they can always land at McChord or Whidbey Island. Both federally owned and operated. Unless DHS is trying to provoke something here.
US Bureau of Prisons flights, aka Con Air, operate out of military airfields all of the time. They like the enhanced security of a military airfield..

[OldGuy]

Does CAP in WAWG perform functions related to the criminal investigation of inadmissibles and alien residents?

In years past we have flown counter drug missions here in WAWG. Those are often near the (Canadian) border and have had a CBP nexus. There have been some recent discussion of resuming those flight.

[Live2Learn]

The airport might have a loop hole here. ...

Where exactly is the 'loophole'?  Dictating to an on-airport business that it can't contract with the Federal Government to provide a transportation service in accordance with Federal (and to this point in time) State law?  Speculative availability of non-mission, non-priority landing slots on nearby military bases seems hardly the stuff of "loopholes".

[PHall]

The airport might have a loop hole here. ...

Where exactly is the 'loophole'?  Dictating to an on-airport business that it can't contract with the Federal Government to provide a transportation service in accordance with Federal (and to this point in time) State law?  Speculative availability of non-mission, non-priority landing slots on nearby military bases seems hardly the stuff of "loopholes".

Loop hole being that they are not denying the aircraft permission to land thus not violating the terms of the FAA grants.

[TheSkyHornet]

Does CAP in WAWG perform functions related to the criminal investigation of inadmissibles and alien residents?

In years past we have flown counter drug missions here in WAWG. Those are often near the (Canadian) border and have had a CBP nexus. There have been some recent discussion of resuming those flight.

ICE's air operations are transport flights, not border patrol or airborne drug interdiction. Their assistance in investigating narcotics trafficking stems from their expertise and focus on border security and movement of persons. They don't fly up and down the border looking for "crossers" (that's a CPB function).

So unless CAP is helping to transport detainees, this shouldn't affect CAP operations. Additionally, Swift Air is a charter under Parts 212 and 380 with a 121 AOC as a wet lease operator. Swift Air was not denied operations into the airfield; the airport ended a ground with the ground service provider which serviced Swift Air. CAP uses no such external service provider aside from leasing ramp/hangar space (no passenger handling, tug operators, air carts, or baggage handlers).

I see zero impact on CAP here.

[OldGuy]

Does CAP in WAWG perform functions related to the criminal investigation of inadmissibles and alien residents?

In years past we have flown counter drug missions here in WAWG. Those are often near the (Canadian) border and have had a CBP nexus. There have been some recent discussion of resuming those flight.

ICE's air operations are transport flights, not border patrol or airborne drug interdiction. Their assistance in investigating narcotics trafficking stems from their expertise and focus on border security and movement of persons. They don't fly up and down the border looking for "crossers" (that's a CPB function).

So unless CAP is helping to transport detainees, this shouldn't affect CAP operations. Additionally, Swift Air is a charter under Parts 212 and 380 with a 121 AOC as a wet lease operator. Swift Air was not denied operations into the airfield; the airport ended a ground with the ground service provider which serviced Swift Air. CAP uses no such external service provider aside from leasing ramp/hangar space (no passenger handling, tug operators, air carts, or baggage handlers).

I see zero impact on CAP here.

To the extent there is a political motive (and it sure looks like one) to the decision to deny ICE flights, it is not a stretch to imagine other "sacred cows" such as legalization of pot could fall into the same net. The irony is that the push for a resumption of flights is to ID illicit pot ops that cheat the state of revenue from the legal pot ops. All in all, we live in fascinating times.

[TheSkyHornet]

Well, and to that point—and to avoid this becoming a political discussion—it may be "saddening" to see legislative (whether state or federal) changes having negative impacts on CAP's operations, but I don't think it's in the best interest of that entire state or the country to avoid legislation for the sole sake of keeping CAP up and running. For example: the legalization of marijuana (and other drugs) should fall at the expense of the argument that "You're taking away CAP's counter-drug missions!"

I definitely agree that there could be laws, or political moves/motives, that can disrupt CAP's operations. But those laws should drive what happens to CAP due to cause-and-effect, not because it gives CAP something to do or takes an activity away from CAP. We shouldn't govern to keep us in a job; that's not the role of government.

If CAP loses a mission, it needs to either accept that mission is gone or adapt and find a new role.