The Secretary of Foreign Relations (SRE) affirmed its commitment to welcoming Mexicans to the country, even in the case of repatriations. This message was disseminated in response to information from NBC News suggesting that the landing of a U.S. military plane with deportees on board had been denied. The Foreign Ministry expressed that Mexico welcomes its citizens with open arms and emphasized the good relationship with the U.S. government in various areas, including migration.
Amid this situation, NBC News reported that two C-17 aircraft from the Air Force with approximately 80 people each departed from the United States on Thursday heading to Mexico, but a third flight never took off. According to a White House official quoted in the report, the issue with the plane bound for Mexico was quickly resolved as an administrative matter.
Since Donald Trump took office as President of the United States, the relationship between that country and Mexico has experienced tensions, especially due to Trump’s threats to impose tariffs on Mexico in response to the crisis at the border. In this context, the White House announced the start of deportations of migrants, which is part of Trump’s campaign promise to carry out the largest mass expulsion operation of foreigners in U.S. history.
As for deportation flights from the United States, these are not new and have been carried out consistently during Joe Biden’s administration. Data from the Department of Homeland Security revealed that between June and December of last year, more than 860 repatriation flights were conducted, resulting in the expulsion of over 271,000 individuals from approximately 160 countries.
On the other hand, the Pentagon confirmed that they have started using military aircraft to conduct deportation flights, mainly using C-130 and C-17 planes to deport about 5,400 people who are currently in the custody of the Customs and Border Protection agency. These actions are part of the 'Mexico embraces you' strategy, promoted by the government to reintegrate Mexicans deported by Trump by offering them jobs, social programs, support for travel within the country, and the ‘Bienestar Paisano Card’ with 2,000 pesos.
