Everyone Who Is Gone Is Here: The United States, Central America, and the Making of a Crisis

by Jonathan Blitzer

TACA Airlines wasn’t alone in finding passports flushed down toilets. It was happening at major American airports as well, from LAX to JFK. Immigration officials across the country started calling those who arrived without passports “flushers.” Travelers who couldn’t sneak away to the bathroom before reaching customs found other ways to destroy or conceal their identity documents. They hid them in their carry-on luggage or, in cases of desperation, tried eating through the pages. Whatever their means of disposal, everyone had wised up to the same strategy: without a passport to confirm a country of origin, there was no way for INS officials to initiate the deportation process. These travelers requested asylum, and because there was limited space for detention, the INS often released them with a work-authorization form and a future court date.