Trump admin suspends military flights for deportations: Here's why

The US suspended costly military deportation flights after conducting about 30 C-17 and a dozen C-130 flights, transporting migrants to India, Guatemala, Ecuador, Peru, Honduras, Panama & Guantanamo

The Trump administration has stopped the use of military aircraft to deport migrants who entered the US illegally, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal. The practice, which involved flights to Guantanamo Bay and other destinations, was deemed costly and inefficient.  

 

Shift in immigration enforcement strategy 

Cracking down on illegal immigration has been a central theme of President Trump’s second term. However, military transport, originally intended to reinforce the administration’s tough stance, proved to be an expensive alternative to civilian deportation flights.

 

Reports indicate that the last such flight took place on March 1. Officials confirmed that no further flights were scheduled within the next 48 hours, and a planned flight for Thursday was cancelled. While this pause could be temporary, authorities suggested it may become a permanent policy change, the news report said.  

 

 

Shortly after taking office, the administration began using military planes — typically reserved for defence operations — to transfer migrants to their home countries and the US military base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

 

Costly, inefficient process  

Flight-tracking data reveals that the administration conducted approximately 30 deportation flights using C-17 aircraft and around a dozen using C-130 planes. These flights transported migrants to countries such as India, Guatemala, Ecuador, Peru, Honduras, and Panama, in addition to Guantanamo Bay. However, military deportations proved significantly more expensive than conventional deportation flights operated by the Department of Homeland Security, The Wall Street Journal reported.

 

For example, three flights to India reportedly cost $3 million each. In some cases, flights carrying only a dozen individuals to Guantanamo Bay resulted in an estimated cost of at least $20,000 per migrant. In comparison, standard US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) deportation flights cost between $8,500 and $17,000 per flight hour. By contrast, operating a C-17, a large military transport aircraft, costs $28,500 per hour, the WSJ stated citing US Transportation Command.  

 

Flight restrictions and diplomatic challenges  

Operational constraints further inflated costs. Military flights avoided Mexican airspace, leading to longer routes and extended flight times. Additionally, several Latin American nations, including Mexico, denied landing permission for US military deportation flights. Instead, these countries arranged for deported migrants to return via commercial flights or sent their own aircraft.  

 

Colombia initially refused to accept deportation flights on US military planes, prompting a diplomatic standoff. President Donald Trump responded with tariff threats, after which the White House announced that Colombia had agreed to accept deportees without restrictions. However, no US military flights have landed in Colombia since, with the Colombian government opting to use its aircraft for repatriations. 

 

Similarly, Venezuela, which had long resisted accepting deported citizens, recently arranged commercial flights to repatriate 190 individuals, the report said.