Mexico Blocks U.S. Military Plane Deporting Immigrants Amid Rising Tensions

Mexico Denies U.S. Military Plane Access, Foiling Deportation Plans

Mexico declined a U.S. military plane’s landing, temporarily hindering Trump administration’s deportation plans to the country, sources reveal. Two Guatemala-bound Air Force C-17s with around 80 people each deported people from the U.S, while the third flight to Mexico never took off.

Despite Trump’s threats of 25% tariffs on Mexico due to migration issues, no official effect has been put into place. The blocked flight is indicative of growing tensions between the U.S. and Mexico since Trump’s election victory in November.

After the article’s publication, a tweet by White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt revealed that Mexico accepted a record 4 deportation flights in a single day. Yet, it remains unclear whether these were military, commercial, or private flights.

Immigration Policies and Deportation Flights

An official from the Department of Homeland Security later confirmed that the four deportation flights accepted by Mexico were government-chartered and not military. This comes amidst Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum’s opposition to Trump’s “unilateral” immigration policies, including a “remain in Mexico” policy.

On Friday, Guatemala received three flights of deported Guatemalans from the U.S, with two of the flights being on military planes. These actions form part of the broader Trump administration crackdown on illegal immigration, a campaign promise since Trump’s first week in office. Additionally, an extra 1,500 troops have been enlisted to strengthen the border presence.

About the Authors

Courtney Kube covers national security and the military for the NBC News Investigative Unit. She is joined by Jonathan Allen, a senior national politics reporter for NBC News. Contributions also made by Didi Martinez, Gabe Gutierrez, Megan Lebowitz, and Julia Ainsley.