ICE agents reportedly put man on wrong plane at Seattle airport
Apr 23, 2026, 5:58 PM | Updated: Apr 28, 2026, 9:51 am
The air traffic control tower is seen at the distance as Alaska Airlines planes sit at the gates at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport Thursday, Nov. 6, 2025. (Photo: Lindsey Wasson, AP)
(Photo: Lindsey Wasson, AP)
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents reportedly put a man on the wrong plane at the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) last May.
Rakesh Rakesh was flown to Alaska instead of New York on his way back to India, according to The Seattle Times.
Alaska Airlines said ICE was told it was the wrong plane but put him on it anyway.
“The established procedures for this passenger were not followed by ICE,” Alaska Airlines spokesperson Alexa Rudin told The Seattle Times in a statement. “Our gate agents were not notified that he would be boarding the flight.”
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How Rakesh ended up in ICE custody
Rakesh said he was tricked by someone he believed was an Indian travel agent, according to The Seattle Times. The person arranged what Rakesh thought was a direct flight to the U.S., but it was actually a trip to Central America.
Rakesh ended up climbing over a wall to get to the U.S., where he was detained by Border Patrol. He was then transferred to an ICE facility in Tacoma.
“In October 2024, Rakesh Rakesh, an illegal alien from India, was arrested by CBP in a caravan of 17 aliens illegally crossing the southern border,” an ICE spokesperson wrote in an email to KIRO Newsradio. “Despite breaking our nation’s laws, he was RELEASED into the country by the Biden Administration, completely unvetted.”
Rakesh told The Seattle Times he tried to file for asylum, but after months of waiting, decided to leave the U.S. A judge granted his request, and he was escorted to the plane by officers. However, according to the media outlet, Rakesh was taken to the wrong plane. Flight attendants reportedly told the officers it was the incorrect flight, but they boarded him anyway.
After landing in Alaska, the flight’s captain decided to take Rakesh to the hotel he was staying at and booked him a room. He then arranged for Rakesh to fly back to Seattle and helped him get a connecting flight from New York to India. But once Rakesh arrived back in Seattle, he was met by ICE agents who brought him back to the detention center in Tacoma.
After another 16 days in detention, Rakesh made it back to India.
“Rakesh elected voluntary departure and left the United States on June 17, 2025,” the ICE spokesperson said. “He arrived in India the following day as planned. ICE remains committed to ensuring all personnel are held to the highest standard and all individuals in its custody are treated with dignity and respect, in full compliance with federal laws and standards.”
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