This Friday, the Mexican government rejected a request from United States President Donald Trump to allow a military aircraft carrying deported migrants to land on national territory, according to two U.S. defense officials. According to NBC News, two C-17 aircraft from the Air Force departed from the United States bound for Guatemala, each carrying 80 people, expelling more than 271,000 individuals from about 160 countries.
The Pentagon reported that it began using military aircraft for deportation flights, which were usually conducted on civilian planes. It is planned to continue using military transport aircraft to deport 5,400 people currently in custody of Customs and Border Protection (CBP).
Sources consulted by El Financiero reported that no air traffic controller in Mexico denied the landing of an aircraft in the country. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (SRE) indicated that they will always receive Mexican nationals with open arms in the country. The Ministry assured that Mexico maintains a good relationship with the United States and that both countries cooperate while respecting their sovereignties on various issues, including migration.
The mass deportation operation ordered by Donald Trump began with the detention of 538 undocumented immigrants. ICE issued 373 detention orders. The White House shared images of the arrival of the Marine Corps at the U.S.-Mexico border to reinforce the area with a deployment of at least 1,500 military personnel.
After Donald Trump's inauguration, relations between the U.S. and Mexico have become tense, especially with the threat of a 25% tariff on the Latin American country. The White House indicated that deportations of migrants have begun, a campaign promise of Trump. Deportation flights were also carried out during Joe Biden's administration.
A third deportation flight scheduled for Mexico never took off, and it is rumored that Mexico refused to grant permission for the aircraft's entry. Officials from both nations denied this information, indicating that it was an administrative issue that was resolved quickly. The White House press secretary denied these rumors and stated on her social media that Mexico accepted the arrival of deportation flights in the country.
