In a troubling incident Wednesday, nine people were transported to a local hospital after an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) plane that had just departed from Mesa Gateway Airport was forced to return. According to Mesa police, the plane encountered a malfunction that caused it to lose air conditioning shortly after takeoff.
The aircraft was carrying 98 individuals in ICE custody en route to Alexandria, Louisiana, when the loss of air conditioning presented a severe issue.
With temperatures soaring, the lack of a cooling system on board led to heat-related medical concerns among some of the passengers.
ICE officials confirmed that nine individuals were treated for heat-related ailments but have since been released back into ICE custody. Thankfully, no other medical issues were reported among the rest of the passengers or crew.
The cause of the air conditioning failure remains unknown. As a precaution, the original flight was canceled and rescheduled for Thursday morning.
