Acting Defense Secretary Robert Salesses announced on Wednesday, Jan. 22, that the Defense Department will provide military aircraft to deport migrants who are in the United States illegally. Salesses said President Donald Trump directed him to take all appropriate action to support the southern border.
Salesses said those flights will include more than 5,000 migrants. The flights will be flown out of San Diego, California, and El Paso, Texas.
How will they conduct the deportations?
The Pentagon plans to use Air Force C-17s and C-130s for the initial deportations. A senior defense official told Air & Space Forces magazine that it will be up to the State Department to work with destination countries to determine where exactly those flights are going.
When will this start?
Deportation flights have begun.
— Karoline Leavitt (@PressSec) January 24, 2025
President Trump is sending a strong and clear message to the entire world: if you illegally enter the United States of America, you will face severe consequences. pic.twitter.com/CTlG8MRcY1
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt announced Friday, Jan. 24, that the deportation flights have begun. She also posted pictures on X showing them underway.
Fox News reported that a flight out of Fort Bliss, Texas, was carrying 80 people bound for Guatemala. The deportations are being met with mixed reactions.
What has been the reaction?
The mayor of Newark, New Jersey, called it an egregious act when Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents detained several workers at a fish market on Thursday, Jan. 23.
However, in Massachusetts, a state that went for former Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 election, Democratic Gov. Maura Healey said she supports the apprehension of criminals in their communities. She also said that Massachusetts is not a sanctuary state.
