U.S. military C-17 aircraft began flying detained migrants out of the country on Friday, following orders from President Donald Trump, as the Pentagon prepared to send more troops to the southern border, including from the Army's elite 82nd Airborne division.
Two U.S. military aircraft, each carrying about 80 migrants, flew from the U.S. to Guatemala, a U.S. official told Reuters.
"Guatemala and the United States are committed to putting an end to illegal migration and strengthening border security. Starting with two flights today," the State Department said.
In the past, U.S. military aircraft have been used to relocate individuals from one country to another, like during the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021.
This was the first time in recent memory that U.S. military aircraft were being used to fly migrants out of the U.S., one official said.
Trump in his first day in office declared illegal immigration a national emergency, tasking the U.S. military with aiding border security, issuing a broad ban on asylum, and taking steps to restrict citizenship for children born on American soil.
His Jan. 20 executive order instructed the Pentagon to send as many troops as necessary to obtain "complete operational control of the southern border of the United States."
"Deportation flights have begun," White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said on a post on X.
The Pentagon has said that the U.S. military would provide flights for the deportations of more than 5,000 immigrants held by U.S. authorities in El Paso, Texas, and San Diego, California.
Earlier this week, the Trump administration said the U.S. military would be sending 1,500 additional active-duty troops to the border with Mexico.
U.S. officials told Reuters that the military was preparing to send a second wave of troops to the border with Mexico as early as next week, which would likely include troops from the 82nd Airborne. The official said the additional troops could number in the thousands but a formal decision had not been made.
Troops from the 82nd Airborne Division are usually prepared to deploy at short notice for crises around the world, typically in conflict zones rather than to the U.S. border with Mexico.
Reuters reported this week that there had been informal discussions about sending as many as 10,000 troops over time, though a final figure had not been determined and troop numbers would depend on several factors, including impact on military readiness.
During his first term, Republican Trump ordered 5,200 troops to help secure the border with Mexico. Democratic former President Joe Biden deployed active-duty troops to the border as well.
© Thomson Reuters 2025.
31 Comments
ok1517
And here we go: Germany 1933 Ver2.0 in the making.
How do they decide who is a migrant and who not?
By looking at their faces (first)?
By putting signs on them?
Remember:
first they came for the opposition - and I didn't do anything
then they came for the gypsies - and I didn't do anything
then they came for the "non-natives" - and I didn't do anything
then they came for the disabled - and I didn't do anything
then they came for the Jews - and I didn't do anything
then they came for me and my family .......
.... and it was too late to do something.
Never again!!
theFu
Using the US military equipment for this makes a photo op, but it isn't efficient. 80 at a time? That's just crazy.
Wasting money. Stop using airplanes. Put 4K at a time on a 3-day cruise for $79. They get the no-soda meal plan. Water and milk for the kids.
Musk should be screaming about the lack of efficiency here. Guess we know where he's got his nose shoved.
Shipping people outside the US isn't gonna work. Remove all the carrots for living in the US and entering the US, so illegal immigrants have to leave and stop trying to come. Hundreds of thousands to choose to leave because all the carrots are gone. No work. No place to live and they won't have any choice.
If they want to properly immigrate, fantastic. Visit the US consul in your home country and get on the immigration VISA list. No more cutting the line. If you are deported by the USGovt, you need a life-time ban on entering the US for any reason. If you leave on your own, no ban, assuming your entry visa hasn't expired.
Toblerone
And here we go: Germany 1933 Ver2.0 in the making.
Newsflash for the self-deluded: It is for individuals who have broken the law and entered the US illegally. Just about every nation in the world does it, including Japan. Get on your “never again” high horse regarding Japan too and at least I’d give you points for consistency (not credibility though).
Toblerone
If they want to properly immigrate, fantastic. Visit the US consul in your home country and get on the immigration VISA list. No more cutting the line. If you are deported by the USGovt, you need a life-time ban on entering the US for any reason. If you leave on your own, no ban, assuming your entry visa hasn't expired.
Exactly.
bass4funk
Germany systematically plotted to murder people, that’s not what going on, try again.
Every single law agency is working together Federal and local, that’s not that difficult to do
No, but maybe you should ask all of the agencies, and yet, every single one they caught were illegals, so I’m good with it, just as long as it’s done.
Well, it’s happening. The illegals are going back.
And there is nothing the left can do about it. Illegal criminals have no rights or business being in this country.
sakurasuki
Here's some suggestion for not having migrant influx.
Don't disturb democratic elected government in the first place.
So those countries will have stable economy and government, where people doesn't need to flee their country.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_involvement_in_regime_change_in_Latin_America
https://www.npr.org/2023/09/10/1193755188/chile-coup-50-years-pinochet-kissinger-human-rights-allende
Peter Neil
and at the same time, trump cancelled the visas of afghanis who have been hiding from house to house because they were supporting the u.s. troops, leaving them stranded as they were about to fly out.
blood on trump’s little hands.
ok1517
Thanks for the down-votes.
But, maybe this explains it better, coming from Donald:
"Trump on immigrants: “You can look at them and say, could be trouble.”
The other term for this is racial profiling.
bass4funk
Hmmm
https://x.com/gardensr4health/status/1882543643728437496?s=46&t=YGWP_lcRZjddiWlx4QxURQ
Nice try, that argument won’t work either.
GuruMick
Sakurasuki....on the money my friend.
The US has interfered in just about every Latin American country for its own agenda.
Disrupting societies through military and non military means is no way to have stability in a country.
bass4funk
Biden and Myorkas let in over 10 million illegals…blood on their hands? Illegals un-vetted..Yeah, please don’t go there, you’ll lose that argument all day.
GuruMick
Bass....who employs all these "illegals "?
My guess is the agriculture/farm sector accounts for a lot.
Lets see some penalties on the owners.
bass4funk
Doesn't matter
Then they can hire legal migrants
No problem with that
Peter Neil
standard deflection. they should be numbered, so only the number has to be typed, e.g. deflection 7.
the number is about 6.5 million, not 10 million.
and 3.8 million were deported or returned. maga isn't very good at arithmetic, since they use light of hand and never talk about the net people after the removals.
that's still way too many. i fully support stopping illegal immigration.
but the legal immigration system is so screwed up, it's easier to just cross the border.
iknowall
Finally a US president doing what he is supposed to do. Protect his country.
bass4funk
No deflection that is the rough estimate of people that were allowed in, not including the document 3 million got aways.
Again, the border patrols estimate, I trust them more than the numbers of the former administration
And half allegedly or seemingly came back
Nor the previous administration given the way they spent our money
The border patrol agents were never allowed to talk to the media under the previous administration, wonder why?
Good! We are on the same page then! This is a good thing.
Well, now with a Republican Congress, and without Dems obstructing them on the issue, something will get done about it.
wallace
Trump made many claims about what he would do in 24 hours.
Hercolobus
Nobody is ilegal on stolen land.
Blacklabel
And posters here were claiming no illegals would be found and deported lol
like that Haitian gangster who cried out to Obama and Biden saying “I’m not going back to Haiti”- oh, yes he is.
Blacklabel
there was a problem with the self checkout.
so I took my items, didn’t pay and just left with them for “free”. Not my fault!
No, right?
bass4funk
If I see, a person in the street, an old friend and tell them, let’s meet up soon, next week or I’ll call you right back, it’s not in the immediate literal sense, it means it will happen. Now, do I care when liberals point this out? No, absolutely not, but they would be wise to give themselves less stress if they just realize that he’s keeping his promise, as to the exact moment and time, don’t get caught up you guys, you’re going to get ulcers.
Sadly, that weak argument doesn’t hold up
Peter Neil
not good enough for americans? what a tragic mindset that defines maga mindset perfectly.
there are solutions to everything. it depends on how far you’re willing to go, or how much you’re willing to pay.
25% of the entire world prison population is in the u.s. fine, deport everyone and have prisoners pick lettuce and strawberries in chain gangs for $5 per day.
or, how about courts order work in slaughter house and on farms in lieu of jail time? empty out detroit and chicago inner cities and bus everyone to farms and slaughter houses. they don’t have the skill to do construction.
or better yet, privatize it with corporations getting lucrative government subsidies and contracts to manage the $5 per day prisoners? prisons are already privatized.
imagine an army of maga hats picking lettuce…
bass4funk
Atlantic City is in Chicago????
Peter Neil
when i first read of these flights, i immediately thought that countries might refuse landing clearance
sure enough, it happened.
ok1517
Heard the latest:
Reports of Navajo people being detained by ICE coming in.
The (Trump!) DOJ arguing that indigenous people don't have birthright citizenship.
Yeah, I forgot, they're of course not (/s) Americans in Donald's and MAGAt's thinking.
Trust me, it will only get worse!
bass4funk
Because we want legal immigrants, oh, the horror….
Well, for illegals, the ONLY solution now is, is to come in legally or file a claim in their country or political asylum and wait.
Not a bad idea
They can learn
Illegals would be wearing Biden shirts
https://x.com/libsoftiktok/status/1882894348540596519?s=46&t=YGWP_lcRZjddiWlx4QxURQ
bass4funk
All of them?
Do they have US citizenship?
For illegals, especially the criminal ones, yes, it will.
https://x.com/libsoftiktok/status/1882831077330530457?s=46&t=YGWP_lcRZjddiWlx4QxURQ
Legrande
Reports of Navajo people being detained by ICE coming in.
Provide links so we can see these reports.
ok1517
Legrande,
why delegate?
You got internet, look for the news!
ok1517
Oh, and by the way, Mexico already refusing the first deportation flight.
ICE out of luck, I guess.
(if you don't believe it, check the news on the internet - before someone asks for links again)
Mr Kipling
A wonderful sight!
Europe needs to take note.