Mexico reportedly denied land access to a US military aircraft that was to be transported illegal immigrants to the country this week, a move that highlights tensions between the United States and its southern neighbors as the Trump administration continues to crack down on illegal migrants.
Citing two U.S. defense officials and a third person familiar with the situation, NBC News reported that two Air Force C-17s en route to Guatemala, each carrying about 80 people, flew deportations from the U.S. on Thursday evening.
A third flight bound for Mexico never took off after Mexico refused to agree to the landing, the report said. Fox News Digital has contacted the White House and the Mexican Embassy Washington, DC.
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People board a US military plane. The White House announced on Friday that “deportation flights have begun” in the US (White House)
Flying deportees abroad requires the cooperation of the government of that country.
It was not clear why Mexico blocked the flight, but tensions over the Trump administration’s tough illegal immigration policies have strained relations between the countries.
President Claudia Sheinbaum and President Donald Trump (Getty Images)
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has said she opposes Trump’s executive orders to combat illegal immigration, including reinstating the “Remain in Mexico” policy, which requires migrants to wait. in Mexico while their asylum applications are taking place in the US
Before Trump took office this week, he promised mass deportations, initially targeting the population criminal illegal immigrants and stricter immigration standards and vetting procedures.
Trump also ordered 1,500 active-duty troops to the southern border to bolster the military presence there.
Migrants deported from the US to Mexico wave as they are transported to a shelter and cross the El Chaparral pedestrian border bridge in Tijuana, Mexico, January 21, 2025. (Felix Márquez/AP)
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In recent days, federal immigration authorities have made hundreds of arrests, including gang members and others with criminal histories, as part of Trump’s mass deportation effort.
