On Thursday, Mexico denied a U.S. military aircraft permission to land, causing an unexpected setback for the Trump administration’s immigration policies aimed at deporting individuals back to Mexico.
This information was disclosed by two U.S. defense officials and a third source familiar with the circumstances.
According to NBC News, The situation involved two Air Force C-17 planes bound for Guatemala, each carrying approximately 80 passengers.
These flights successfully took off from the United States carrying deportees, but the third flight, which was scheduled to land in Mexico, never commenced its journey.
The reasons behind Mexico’s refusal to allow the flight remain unclear.
However, the relationship between the United States and Mexico has become increasingly strained since Donald Trump secured the presidency in November.
Tensions escalated further when Trump hinted at imposing a steep 25% tariff on Mexican goods as a form of punishment for the continued influx of migrants crossing the shared border.
As of now, these tariffs have yet to be implemented.
In response to the incident, a White House official characterized the situation as an “administrative issue” that was promptly resolved, indicating that the denial of the flight was not an insurmountable obstacle.
The Trump administration announced plans to increase deportations, specifically targeting cities such as Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, Denver, Washington, D.C., and Miami.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Border Patrol agents have been directed to prioritize individuals who cross the border without authorization.
To bolster these efforts, President Trump signed executive orders that will deploy 1,500 military troops to the border and prohibit migrants from making advance appointments, requiring them to remain in Mexico while they wait for processing.
Additionally, Trump issued an executive order aimed at ending birthright citizenship in the United States, which currently grants citizenship to individuals born within the country.
However, this policy is currently facing legal challenges, as a federal judge in Washington has granted a request from Democratic state attorneys general to block the order, putting its implementation on hold.
