Immigration Arrests Surge as Shackled Men Board US Military Plane | US News
U.S. military aircraft have commenced transporting detained migrants out of the United States under the directive of President Donald Trump.
This development follows the release of photographs by the White House showing men with their hands and ankles shackled being guided onto a military plane.
Mr. Trump‘s press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, shared the images on X, stating, “Deportation flights have initiated.”
Leavitt emphasized that Mr. Trump was sending a “strong and clear message to the world: if you enter the United States illegally, you will encounter severe consequences.”
This marks the first instance in recent history where American military planes are being utilized to transport migrants out of the U.S., according to an official source.
Historically, such aircraft have been employed to relocate individuals from one nation to another, including during the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021.
On Friday, two military aircraft, each transporting approximately 80 migrants, took off from the U.S. to Guatemala, a U.S. official reported.
One C-17 reportedly departed from Biggs Army Air Field in Texas, while another took off from Tucson, Arizona.
According to the U.S. State Department, “Guatemala and the United States are dedicated to ending illegal migration and enhancing border security. This initiative begins with two flights today.”
Pic: X/PressSec
On Instagram, the Guatemalan Vice President Karin Herrera’s office shared a video of a military plane landing in Guatemala.
The caption read: “The @guatemalagob [Guatemalan government] remains committed to safeguarding the integrity of migrants. The vice presidency will ensure that the returnees are welcomed in a dignified and safe manner.”
A total of 79 Guatemalans returned, all of whom were adults, comprising 31 women and 48 men, according to the Guatemalan Migration Institute.
‘Mexico denies U.S. flight access’
Additionally, a flight that was set to head to Mexico was canceled after Mexican authorities denied it landing permission, as reported by NBC News.
The Pentagon confirmed that the U.S. military would facilitate flights for the deportation of over 5,000 immigrants currently held by U.S. authorities in El Paso, Texas, and San Diego, California.
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On his inaugural day as president, Mr. Trump labeled illegal immigration a national emergency and tasked the military with enhancing security along the Mexico border.
The president has vowed to initiate the largest deportation operation in U.S. history, with his border czar, Tom Homan, stating that “the worst offenders will be targeted first.”
His executive order issued on January 20 instructed the Pentagon to deploy sufficient troops to achieve “complete operational control of the southern border of the United States.”
‘Hundreds of soldiers heading to Mexican border’
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The Trump administration announced earlier this week that it would send an additional 1,500 active-duty troops to the Mexican border, with a second wave possibly deployed next week.
In the meantime, hundreds have been arrested across the United States by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in cities such as Buffalo, New York, Chicago, St. Paul, Salt Lake City, San Francisco, and Denver.
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‘Daily ICE arrests nearly double’
Out of 538 arrests made on Thursday, 373 were based on criminal charges, while 165 were for non-criminal issues.
Recent statistics indicate that this count of 538 was almost double ICE’s average daily arrests of 282 in September 2024.
The Trump administration has stated that their primary focus is on apprehending migrants with criminal records. The Department of Homeland Security announced on Tuesday that ICE would be permitted to arrest undocumented individuals in locations such as schools and places of worship, a practice that was restricted under previous administrations.
“Criminals can no longer evade capture by hiding in America’s schools and churches,” stated the department.
Many of the ICE operations mirror previous activities; similar deportation flights were conducted under the Biden administration, though not via military aircraft.
NBC News reports that officials in New Jersey and advocates for immigrant rights have criticized federal immigration authorities for executing a workplace raid on a small business in Newark without a warrant.
In a press conference, Mayor Ras Baraka expressed outrage, stating that several ICE agents entered the rear of the business, apprehended three undocumented workers, and interrogated U.S. citizen employees.
“Individuals were fingerprinted, and photos of their IDs and faces were taken,” added the Democratic mayor. “I was appalled, upset, and angry that this could transpire in our state, in our country, that this would be permitted.”
