The deportation flight was blocked from leaving the US after two Air Force C-17 flights, each carrying about 80 deportees to Guatemala, successfully took off Thursday night, NBC reported, citing two defense officials and a third person familiar with the situation.
It was not immediately clear why Mexico blocked the plane, but tensions have flared between Trump and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum since he threatened to slap 25% tariffs on Mexican goods in response to migrants illegally crossing the border.
A White House official told the outlet via text message that “the flights thing was an administrative issue and was quickly rectified.”
The flight rejection appeared to be confusion over the Department of Defense flight manifest, according to Fox News’ Bill Melugin, who cited a senior State Department official.
“Per the official, Mexico was full steam ahead to accept the deportations – and would have if there hadn’t been a misunderstanding regarding the paperwork,” he tweeted.
About 2,000 illegal migrants were deported to the country Thursday, with the nation detaining around 5,000 within its own borders, Melugin added.
As of Friday night, US Immigration and Customs Enforcement has made 593 arrests, with 449 detainers lodged, the agency posted on X.
Trump on Monday declared a national emergency at the US-Mexico border and restricted refugees and asylum, saying he wants to halt all illegal entry and border crime, designating cartels and organized migrant gangs as foreign terrorist organizations.
Federal officials swept into sanctuary cities, including Boston, Denver, Philadelphia and Atlanta, on Trump’s first full day in office on Tuesday, nabbing about 308 illegal migrant criminals from more than a dozen nations.
The Trump administration has dramatically loosened restrictions on how ICE can conduct deportation raids – removing bans on operating in courthouses, churches and other places that illegal migrants had previously been shielded from immigration authorities.
The 47th president has also deployed 1,500 active-duty troops to the US-Mexico border, with many given orders to fly helicopters to help Border Patrol agents and assist with constructing barriers, Acting Defense Secretary Robert Salesses said Wednesday.
The use of military aircraft to carry out deportation flights is part of the Pentagon’s plan to fulfill Trump’s emergency declaration – marking the first time military planes have been used to transport deportees since President Dwight Eisenhower was in office, Reuters reported, citing an unnamed US official.
“Thanks to President Trump, yesterday Mexico accepted a record four deportation flights in one day! This comes in addition to unrestricted returns at the land border, the deportation of non-Mexicans and reinstatement of Remain-in-Mexico. Mexico has also mobilized 30,000 National Guard,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told The Post.
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