Massport confirmed it is reviewing a formal request to install 24/7 webcams at Hanscom Field aimed at tracking Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detainee flights.
Massport spokesperson Jennifer Mehigan said the agency received the Hanscom Field Advisory Commission's (HFAC) letter, dated Aug. 18, and told The Concord Bridge the agency is "reviewing it." That marks the first public response from Massport since the commission approved the camera proposal.
The HFAC letter asks for two things: webcams installed near areas where ICE interacts with detainees, and equal treatment for all civilian observers in public areas of the airport. HFAC member Christopher Eliot first proposed the webcam idea in July, and the commission approved an amended version on Aug. 11.
The commission's next meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 15. Massport has not committed to a timeline for its response.
Why webcams matter to advocates
Advocates who monitor Hanscom say distant photos of detainees being loaded onto planes make it hard to identify individuals. Eliot told The Bridge that webcams near loading areas could capture faces, helping families and lawyers track detainees as ICE moves them across the country.
A similar system already exists at King County International Airport-Boeing Field near Seattle. That airport maintains live, 24/7 camera feeds covering ICE flight operations, established by a county executive order in 2023.
De-ICE Hanscom, the activist group tracking flights at the airport, reported in August that it had logged 114 ICE flights carrying an estimated 2,221 detainees through Hanscom since October 2025, according to spokesperson Todd Palmer.
Leverage is limited
HFAC members acknowledge they cannot force Massport to comply. Member Barbara Katzenberg urged a diplomatic approach, telling The Bridge, "the strength of our emotions doesn't make our leverage any stronger."
Massport has said it cannot stop ICE-chartered planes from using Hanscom Field. Eliot pushed back, telling The Bridge that if Massport refuses to act on the webcam request, the agency is effectively siding with ICE.
A White House webpage claims ICE detained 11 people in Concord between May 5, 2025, and May 13, 2026. That figure has not been independently verified.
State police, governor weigh in
Massachusetts State Police said no one has been arrested for trespassing at Hanscom over the past year. A spokesperson confirmed one incident in June when a trooper found someone in a parked car "where loitering is prohibited." The person said they were watching planes and was asked to leave. ICE was not discussed during the encounter, according to state police.
Palmer cited that incident as an example of observers being treated unequally at the airport.
Gov. Maura Healey, who appoints part of Massport's board, did not directly say whether she supports installing webcams. Her spokesperson, Jacqueline Manning, said the administration would continue seeking ways to hold ICE accountable but did not address the camera proposal.
Concord resident Marsha Turin, a community organizer, summed up the activist position in an Aug. 21 Concord Bridge report on the webcam push: "ICE isn't going to be transparent on its own. … We need to force them."
