ICE Air flights are currently operating twice per week at MSP (Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport), loaded at Signature Aviation, the private jet facility tucked between Terminal 1 and Terminal 2. The flights generally arrive between noon and 2:00 PM on Tuesday and Friday.
This information was last updated on August 31, 2026.
Watch this tracking map for aircraft heading towards MSP; if they get past Omaha, Springfield, MO, Kansas City, and Gary, IN without landing, they're likely coming to Minneapolis.
Terminal 1, Gold 7 parking ramp ($5+, optically challenging). On cloudy days with a good breeze, photo and video work can be fairly clear, but the loading process takes place ~0.6 miles away - heat haze, distortion, and jelly are all working against us.
For camera people, on a 35mm full frame camera, you'll want at least 400mm of glass and you'll still need to crop pretty agressively. We're currently using a pair of Nikon P950 super-zoom bridge cameras with 2,000mm equivalent for video work.
The most up-to-date historical information on on flights can be found here, you're welcome to use it however you'd like, we appreciate attribution of "Nick Benson, MN50501."
I volunteer my time and lead a small team of observers to make sure that ICE Air operations at MSP are documented, and that each detainee is counted. We are all volunteers, though our parking fees at the airport are covered by Minnesota 50501 - if you appreciate this important work, please help support it financially.
ICE flights generally depart 60-90 minutes after landing; most observable activity happens in the first half hour.
Yes; here's a specific example from April 23, 2025 at MSP, which I photographed from the Gold 7 ramp at Terminal 1, counting ~30 shackled people boarding:
In the Twin Cities, these organizations are workinng to support and protect our neighbors.
Groups focused on flights across the US