The Trump administration's use of U.S. military aircraft to return deportees has raised alarms throughout Latin America.
The deportation flight was blocked from leaving the US after two Air Force C-17 flights, each carrying about 80 deportees to Guatemala, successfully took off Thursday night.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said early Friday morning deportation flights had begun, marking the first deportation flights using military aircraft since President Dwight Eisenhower was in office, Reuters reported, citing an unnamed U.S. official.
Mexico reportedly denied access to land for a U.S. military plane that was slated to return deportees to the country, according to reports.
The Mexican government has criticized President Donald Trump's unilateral immigration actions, and the landing would have required Mexico's assistance.
Mexico has received non-Mexican migrants from the United States in the past week, and Central American nations could also reach similar agreements with the U.S. to accept deportees from other countries,
Tensions escalate as Mexico denies landing clearance for a U.S. military plane carrying deported migrants, disrupting a key piece of Trump’s immigration str
Mexico refused to allow a US military plane with migrants on board to land on its territory. This was reported by NBC with reference to two representatives of the US Department of Defense and a source familiar with the situation.
Two military jets landed in Guatemala City on Friday carrying deported migrants from Tucson, Ariz., and El Paso, according to local migration authorities and the American Embassy in Guatemala.
WASHINGTON/MEXICO CITY – Mexico has refused a request from President Donald Trump’s administration to allow a US military aircraft deporting migrants to land in the country, a US official and a Mexican official told Reuters. The US military carried out two similar flights, each with about 80 migrants, to Guatemala o n Jan 24.
FileMexico refused a request from President Donald Trump’s administration to allow a U.S. military aircraft deporting migrants to land in the country, said U.S. and Mexican officials.:: Guatemala City,
Mexico, Colombia and Brazil push back on Trump's deportation of migrants. He promises 25% tariffs, travel ban on Colombia.