US military aircraft deport migrants, as Pentagon readies more troops for border

U.S. military C-17 aircraft began flying out migrants on orders from President Donald Trump on Friday, as the Pentagon prepared to send even more troops to southern border, including from the Army's elite 82nd Airborne division.

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.

On Friday, two U.S. military aircraft, each carrying about 80 migrants, flew from the United States to Guatemala, a U.S. official told reporters.

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.


Reuters