A US military plane deported migrants to India on Monday, marking the furthest destination for such flights under the Trump administration’s immigration policies, a US official confirmed. A C-17 military aircraft departed with migrants onboard, but it will take at least 24 hours for the plane to reach its destination in India.
This is part of a broader trend where the US military has been tasked with deporting immigrants from various countries, a practice that has seen military flights to Guatemala, Peru, and Honduras in the past.
This move highlights President Donald Trump’s growing reliance on the military to enforce his immigration agenda, which includes deploying additional troops to the US-Mexico border, using military aircraft for deportations, and even utilising military bases to house migrants.
In addition to flights bound for distant destinations, the Pentagon is also facilitating the deportation of over 5,000 immigrants detained in El Paso, Texas, and San Diego, California. These flights represent a significant financial commitment, with the cost of a military deportation flight to Guatemala estimated to be at least $4,675 per migrant, according to Reuters.
The use of military planes for these operations is raising concerns due to the high expenses involved, drawing attention to the growing reliance on the military in the U.S. immigration enforcement strategy.
(With Reuters Inputs)