Story by Raksha Bhattacharjee
In the United States, deportation by military aircraft is uncommon and expensive.
Recently, the president of Colombia declared that he would only allow civilian aircraft to return his citizens. But why is the Trump administration still using C-17s?
In the US, deportation by military aircraft is uncommon and highly costly. A military plane carrying deportees was recently denied entry to Colombia by President Gustavo Petro, who stated that he would only let commercial aircraft.
That being said, why is the Trump administration continuing to use them? How much does a military aircraft cost for a single deportation flight?
The price difference between a regular and military deportation plane
Deportations are typically conducted by US Customs and Immigration Enforcement (ICE) using commercial charter aircraft, which resemble ordinary commercial aircraft.
These aircraft continue to transport illegal immigrants out, but they haven’t gotten as much attention as the massive, intimidating military C-17s.The two planes’ relative costs have been determined by Reuters.
It stated that a recent military deportation flight to Guatemala “probably cost at least $4,675 per person. That is over five times the $853 price of an American Airlines one-way first class ticket on the same route.
During an April 2023 budget hearing, acting ICE Director Tae Johnson informed lawmakers that deportation flights for 135 deportees cost $17,000 each flight hour and usually lasted five hours, according to Reuters.
If the charter operator, rather than ICE, covers the cost of the return flight, this would “translate to a cost of $630 per person.”According to the same article, a C-17 military transport aircraft is projected to cost $28,500 each hour to operate. The longest deportation flight to date is to India.
Such flights have been operated to Ecuador, Honduras, Guatemala, and Peru thus far. Although a military aircraft had also gone to Colombia, the nation used its own aircraft to return the immigrants.
What is the reason for Trump’s desire to deport people using military aircraft?
Symbolism is the reason for this. Trump has often called illegal immigrants “criminals” and “aliens,” saying they have “invaded” America.
The images of immigrants being hauled onto military aircraft appear to contribute to the impression that Trump is strict when it comes to these “crimes.”
Handcuffing and shackling the immigrants while they are being loaded onto airplanes also seems to be consistent with this.
Trump recently told Republican lawmakers, “We are tracking down illegal aliens, loading them into military planes, and returning them to their origins for the first time in history.
After years of people mocking us and treating us like idiots, we are now again appreciated.Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary, shared images of detained migrants going toward a military plane on X on January 24.
“Deportation flights have begun,” was the post she made. President Trump is making a very clear and forceful statement to the entire world: there will be serious repercussions for anyone who enters the United States illegally.
Instead of holding illegal immigrants and allowing them to appeal, Trump supports swiftly deporting them. For the next 20 years, I don’t want them to remain in camp.
“The countries must return them, and I want them out,” he declared in December.However, the image of chained migrants being flown back to their home nations on military aircraft is a delicate topic, particularly in Latin America.
According to an article published recently in The New York Times, “Experts say that the US military has a particular resonance in Latin America, especially for leftist leaders like Petro and President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of Brazil.” They recall an era when the US conducted clandestine military operations in the area in an attempt to quell revolutionary uprisings in the name of battling communism.
The idea of national sovereignty in nations like Mexico may likewise be threatened by the US military’s presence. “They can act within their borders,” stated Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum. We strive to coordinate by defending our sovereignty and engaging in discussion with Mexico.
