England’s World Cup team hires plane used by Trump administration to deport migrants, report claims | OneFootball

England’s World Cup team appears to have flown on the same plane that the Trump administration used to deport migrants to a brutal El Salvadoran prison last year.

The England team was pictured disembarking the plane, operated by Global Crossing Airlines, also known as GlobalX, in Kansas City, Missouri, Saturday to return to their base training camp after playing two friendly matches in Florida.

According to data from aviation tracking site, FlightRadar24, the plane appears to be the same one used by the U.S. government to deport migrants from Texas to the CECOT prison in San Salvador on March 15, 2025. Those who have been detained at the prison have reported filthy conditions, with overcrowded cells that allow disease to spread, and regular beatings by guards.

A day after the March deportation flight, President Donald Trump posted a video featuring a GlobalX plane transporting a group of migrants to CECOT. Trump accused the migrants of being “monsters sent into our Country” by Democrats and the Biden administration.

The Independent has asked representatives for the England soccer team and Global Crossing Airlines for comment.

open image in gallery

England’s World Cup team arrived in Kansas City on a GlobalX flight this weekend. The same plane appears to have been used for a controversial deportation to El Salvador last year, according to a report (Getty Images)

open image in gallery

A screenshot from President Trump's Instagram video showing Global X planes used for deportations to El Salvador (realDonaldTrump / Instagram)

It is unclear whether the England World Cup team was aware that GlobalX had operated many deportation flights. The Daily Mail first reported the story.

GlobalX is a charter airline, based in Miami, Florida, that has a five-year contract with the U.S. government to operate ICE Air deportation flights, the company announced in August 2024. In 2024, GlobalX operated more than 74 percent of deportation flights, according to data collected by immigration activist Tom Cartwright.

The March 15, 2025, deportation flight received national attention as it was also transporting Kilmar Abrego-Garcia, the Salvadoran immigrant wrongly deported to CECOT.

Last year, administration officials initially acknowledged Abrego-Garcia was sent due to an "administrative error,” but later reversed course and accused him of human smuggling, among other crimes. In May, a federal judge dismissed the government’s case against him. However, he is now facing a second deportation attempt.

open image in gallery

CECOT mega prison in El Salvador (AFP/Getty)

GlobalX planes have also been used by athletes competing in the NCAA, The Athletic reported last year. A GlobalX plane was used by the University of Memphis’s men’s basketball team to travel from Fort Worth, Texas, to Memphis, Tennessee, hours before it flew 113 migrants, including seven women and one child, from El Paso, Texas, to Tapachula, Mexico.

In March, college basketball teams competing in March Madness were heavily criticized for using GlobalX planes to fly athletes, as the company was also operating deportation flights. The NCAA defended its decision to use GlobalX, telling the Houston Chronicle that it uses all available FAA-approved carriers to move teams safely and quickly to tournament locations.

In February 2024, Puerto Rican superstar Bad Bunny faced criticism for using GlobalX for tour transportation due to its association with ICE after he has been outspoken against the Trump administration’s immigration policies. It’s unclear if he still uses GlobalX for charter flights.