The United States has stopped fthe use of military aircraft for deporting migrants who entered the country illegally, weeks after sending deportees to India in chains, according to reports. The decision, driven by high costs, comes as part of the Trump administration’s ongoing immigration crackdown. The last military deportation flight took off on March 1, and officials may extend or make the suspension permanent, The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported.
Military planes were first used for deportations shortly after Donald Trump took office, including flights to Guantanamo Bay. However, the method proved expensive and inefficient. Officials had chosen military aircraft as part of their strict stance on illegal immigration. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth previously stated that being sent to Guantanamo Bay was a clear warning to undocumented migrants about the consequences of entering the US illegally.
The Trump administration conducted about 30 deportation flights using C-17 aircraft and a dozen more on C-130 planes, with destinations including India, Peru, Guatemala, Honduras, Panama, Ecuador, and Guantanamo Bay. In February, hundreds of Indian deportees arrived in India on a US Air Force cargo plane. Many described their harrowing experience, saying they were shackled and restrained throughout the flight, only being released upon arrival.
Typically, the Department of Homeland Security oversees deportations using commercial flights. However, the Trump administration used military planes to emphasize its tough immigration policies. The strategy, however, proved highly expensive. WSJ reported that three deportation flights to India alone cost $3 million each, while flights to Guantanamo Bay cost at least $20,000 per migrant.
By comparison, a standard US Immigration and Customs Enforcement deportation flight costs around $8,500 per flight hour, with international trips averaging $17,000 per hour. However, the C-17, designed for heavy cargo and troops, costs $28,500 per hour to operate. Additionally, these flights avoided Mexican airspace, leading to longer travel times and increased expenses.
Mexico, along with other Latin American countries such as Colombia and Venezuela, has refused to allow US military deportation flights to land. Instead, some nations have arranged for deportees to travel on commercial flights or sent their own aircraft. In January, Colombian President Gustavo Petro denied entry to two C-17 flights, prompting Trump to threaten tariffs. Although the White House later announced that Colombia had agreed to accept deported migrants, no C-17 flights reportedly landed there, and Colombia instead used its own aircraft.
Similarly, Venezuela sent two commercial flights in February to pick up 190 deported citizens after years of refusing to accept migrants who had entered the US illegally. The suspension of military deportation flights marks a shift in the Trump administration’s approach, likely influenced by financial concerns and international pushback.