Summary:
- A U.S. military C-17 aircraft is currently en route to India carrying deported migrants, marking the longest-distance deportation flight under Trump’s expanded immigration enforcement policies.
- Over 5,000 detained migrants in Texas and California are being deported via Pentagon-provided flights, following earlier operations to Guatemala, Honduras, and Peru.
- Recent deportation flights have cost approximately $4,675 per migrant, raising questions about the program’s financial efficiency.
- The Trump administration has increasingly deployed military resources for border security since 2025, including troop deployments and migrant housing at military bases.
A U.S. military aircraft is en route to India with deported migrants aboard, marking the longest-distance deportation flight under the Trump administration’s expanded use of Defense Department resources for immigration enforcement. The C-17 transport plane departed within the past 24 hours and will take at least a full day to reach its destination, according to a U.S. official who spoke anonymously about the operation.
The flight forms part of broader efforts to deport over 5,000 migrants detained in El Paso, Texas, and San Diego, California, using Pentagon-provided aircraft. This initiative follows previous military deportation flights to Guatemala, Honduras, and Peru. A recent flight to Guatemala cost approximately $4,675 per migrant, highlighting the program’s significant expenses.
President Donald Trump has increasingly mobilized military assets to support immigration policies since 2025, including deploying troops to the southern border and housing migrants at military bases. The India-bound flight represents both a logistical expansion and a diplomatic escalation of these efforts.
The Department of Defense has not publicly commented on specific deportation operations. Officials have previously emphasized their role in providing “transportation support” while deferring immigration policy decisions to civilian agencies.
This development comes amid ongoing debates about the costs and legal implications of using military resources for domestic law enforcement purposes. Critics argue such actions stretch the Pentagon’s mandate, while supporters maintain they’re necessary to address border security concerns.
Reporting by Idrees Ali and Phil Stewart; Edited by Cynthia Osterman
Source: Reuters
