Mexico has reportedly denied access to land intended for US military aircraft to transport illegal immigrants To the country this week, a move that highlights tensions between the United States and its southern neighbor 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 were bound for Guatemala, which airlifted about 80 people Thursday night from a flight of U.S. deportees from the U.S.
A third flight to Mexico never took off after Mexico refused to agree to land, according to the report. Fox News Digital reached out to the White House and the Mexican Embassy in Washington, DC.
‘National emergency’: Trump declares ambitious illegal immigration crackdown in inaugural address
People are boarding US military planes. The White House announced on Friday that “deportation flights have begun” in the US (White House)
Flying deportees to a foreign country requires the cooperation of that nation’s government.
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 said she opposes Trump’s executive orders to crack down on illegal immigration, including reinstating the “Stay in Mexico” policy, which requires migrants to wait in Mexico While their asylum is claimed to take place in the USA
Before taking office this week, Trump promised mass deportations, initially targeting criminal illegal immigrants and stricter immigration standards and vetting procedures.
Trump also ordered 1,500 active duty troops to the southern border to increase 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 on January 21, 2025. (Felix Marquez/AP)
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In recent days, federal immigration authorities have made hundreds of arrests, including of gang members and others with criminal histories, as part of Trump’s mass deportation efforts.
