Mexico has refused to allow a U.S. military aircraft carrying deported migrants to land in the country, a controversial move that reflects mounting tensions over immigration policies between the two nations. While U.S. military aircraft conducted two deportation flights to Guatemala last week, each carrying around 80 migrants, Mexico denied permission for a similar flight to land, according to both U.S. and Mexican officials.
Mexico’s foreign ministry, while emphasizing the country’s strong relationship and ongoing collaboration with the United States on immigration, declined to comment specifically on the flight’s rejection. A Mexican official also refrained from revealing the reason behind the decision, although President Claudia Sheinbaum stated earlier this week that she opposes mass deportations and views Mexican immigrants as essential to the U.S. economy.
The refusal comes shortly after President Donald Trump’s administration began re-launching its “Remain in Mexico” policy, which forces asylum seekers from non-Mexican countries to stay in Mexico while their U.S. immigration cases are processed. Sheinbaum, in response, stressed that Mexico would need to formally agree to such measures, something her administration has not done. The U.S. State Department and Pentagon have yet to respond to inquiries regarding the matter.
The deployment of U.S. military planes for deportation purposes is rare and highlights Trump’s national emergency declaration concerning the U.S.-Mexico border. Announced at the start of his second term, the declaration involves sending an additional 1,500 U.S. troops to the border, with the potential for thousands more in the coming weeks. The Pentagon has stated that military aircraft will be used to deport over 5,000 migrants currently held in detention facilities in El Paso, Texas, and San Diego, California.
The use of military aircraft for deportations underscores the Trump administration’s aggressive stance on immigration. While such planes have previously been utilized for humanitarian efforts, like relocating individuals during the 2021 Afghanistan evacuation, this marks a rare instance of their use for deportation operations.
Guatemala has so far accepted deportation flights, including a third carrying 80 migrants on a chartered commercial plane last Friday, but Mexico’s rejection underscores its delicate position. Though Sheinbaum has expressed willingness to accommodate returning Mexican nationals, she continues to resist broader U.S. demands—further straining an already complex bilateral relationship.
The “Remain in Mexico” policy, formally known as the Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP), was a centerpiece of the Trump administration’s immigration strategy. Implemented in 2019, the policy required asylum seekers arriving at the U.S.-Mexico border to wait in Mexico while their immigration cases were processed in the United States. Proponents of the policy argued that it helped to deter frivolous asylum claims and reduced overcrowding in U.S. detention facilities. Critics, however, raised significant concerns about the safety and well-being of migrants forced to wait in often-dangerous border cities, where many faced threats of violence, extortion, and inadequate access to basic resources.
Although the Biden administration officially sought to terminate the MPP in 2021, legal challenges delayed its repeal, and the policy was briefly reinstated in late 2021 under court orders. During its reimplementation, the policy underwent slight modifications, including exemptions for vulnerable populations such as pregnant women and individuals with medical conditions. Nevertheless, human rights organizations continued to denounce the policy, citing ongoing risks to migrants and the lack of transparency in asylum proceedings. The eventual suspension of “Remain in Mexico” remains a contentious topic in U.S. immigration policy debates, reflecting deep divisions over border management and humanitarian obligations.
Keywords: Mexico-U.S. relations, Deportation flight, Immigration tensions, U.S. military flights, Border policy
#USMexicoRelations #ImmigrationTensions #DeportationPolicy
