In a recent event, it has been reported that at least eight minors were aboard a U.S. Air Force military aircraft. The U.S. Border Patrol spokesman, Orlando Marrero, warned that those who cross the border illegally will be deported to their home country within hours.
It is important to note that the Trump administration has resorted to using military aircraft to carry out deportations to countries like Guatemala, Ecuador, and Colombia, in contrast to the previous ICE practices that employed charter and commercial flights for these purposes.
In this regard, federal representative Henry Cuellar mentioned that some countries do not welcome the entry of military aircraft into their territory. Colombia has agreed to receive the deported migrants but has requested that they be transported on Colombian military aircraft to ensure their dignity, as stated by Colombian President Gustavo Petro.
The Pentagon has begun deploying personnel to the border; however, it is still unclear to what extent they will deviate from their usual support functions, such as ground and aerial surveillance, construction of segments of the border wall, and vehicle repairs. Despite a law prohibiting military participation in civil matters, it has been suggested that Trump could invoke wartime powers to justify these actions.
In another related episode, a U.S. Air Force plane transported around 80 deportees to Guatemala, reflecting the growing role of the armed forces in enforcing Trump’s immigration policies. The flight, which departed from Texas, had to avoid Mexican airspace, prolonging its duration and highlighting the new strategy in motion.
For his part, Yael Schacher, director of Refugees International for the Americas and Europe, pointed out that the use of military aircraft for deportations, while uncommon, has a strong symbolic component in this context.
