First Thing: Huge climate cost of emissions from US immigration enforcement flights

Trump’s mass deportation campaign is accelerating the climate crisis. Plus, US students on why they booed their pro-AI graduation speakers

Good morning.

Donald Trump’s mass deportation campaign has spurred at least an 80% increase in immigration flights year over year, accelerating the climate crisis by emitting massive amounts of carbon dioxide, according to data analysis shared exclusively with the Guardian.

How much carbon is ICE emitting through deportation flights? US Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) air operations pumped out an estimated 335,876 tonnes (37,0240 US tons) of carbon emissions in 2025, up 88% from the year before. The first four months of 2026 show the federal agency is on track to contribute even more to global heating this year from such flights, the Guardian can reveal.

Why is Trump facing criticism from his own party over Iran? Loyalists are concerned over reports that billions of dollars in frozen assets could be made available to Tehran, with senior Republican saying the reported details of the peace deal appear too close to the nuclear deal negotiated in 2015 by the Obama administration, which Trump scrapped.

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