ALBAWABA - The Mexican government has declined a request from the U.S. to allow a military plane carrying deported migrants to land on its territory, marking a rare point of contention in the strong bilateral relationship between the two nations.
Two U.S. military planes, each transporting approximately 80 deported migrants, successfully arrived in Guatemala on Friday. However, a third flight intended for Mexico was canceled after Mexican authorities refused entry.
In a statement, Mexico’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs emphasized its collaborative ties with the U.S. and its consistent policy of welcoming deported Mexican nationals. “When it comes to deportation operations, we always welcome Mexicans back to our land with open arms,” the statement read. No specific reason was provided for rejecting the flight, and the ministry did not directly comment on the incident.
This development comes amid the Trump administration’s revival of the "Remain in Mexico" program, requiring non-Mexican asylum seekers to stay in Mexico while awaiting U.S. immigration court decisions.
Earlier Friday, the White House shared an image on X of handcuffed migrants boarding a military plane with the caption, “Deportation flights have begun.” President Trump described the flights as part of a mission to remove “the most dangerous criminals.”
Trump, who started his second term this week, has signed a series of executive orders aimed at curbing illegal migration, including deploying military forces at the southern border and declaring a national emergency. The administration has labeled the initiative as “the largest mass deportation operation in history.”
In contrast, under President Joe Biden’s administration, 270,000 migrants were deported in 2023—a number not reached during Trump’s first term from 2017 to 2021.
