Trump administration halts military deportation flights due to high costs
What's the story
The Trump administration has put a stop to using military aircraft to deport migrants, citing high costs and inefficiencies, the WSJ reported.
The last such flight was on March 1, and no other flights are scheduled, officials confirmed.
First introduced as part of President Donald Trump's hardline immigration policies, military flights were meant to send a strong message about the administration's crackdown on illegal immigration.
Financial burden
Military deportation flights: A costly affair
Since the policy's implementation, around 42 deportation flights have been conducted on C-17 and C-130 military aircraft.
These flights have flown to countries like India, Guatemala, Ecuador, Peru, Honduras, Panama and even Guantanamo Bay.
However, these operations turned out to be a financial burden for the administration with deportation flights to India costing $3 million each and some Guantanamo flights costing $20,000 per migrant.
Operational challenges
Military flights face restrictions and refusals
Along with the exorbitant costs, restrictions on US military aircraft from entering Mexico's airspace have also added to the travel time and expenses.
Some Latin American countries have also declined to accept deported migrants through US military flights.
In January, Colombian President Gustavo Petro denied entry to two C-17 flights, prompting Trump to threaten tariffs against Colombia.
But no US military aircraft have landed there since.
Policy review
Suspension of military deportation flights may be extended
Officials have said that the suspension of military deportation flights could be extended or made permanent. However, no final decision has been announced yet.
The United States Department of Homeland Security estimated that 11 million immigrants lacked legal status in 2022, a figure that some analysts believe has risen to 14 million.
Trump stated in December that he intended to deport all immigration law breakers.
In February alone, US Border Patrol arrested 8,300 migrants at the southern border, Trump said.