US military aircraft deport migrants, Pentagon readies more troops for border

PHOTO CAPTION: Illustrative photo — A C-17 Globemaster III prepares for takeoff at Travis Air Force Base, California, Oct. 31. 2023. (U.S. Air Force photo by Hun Chustine Minoda)

By Idrees Ali and Phil Stewart

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -     U.S. military C-17 aircraft began flying out migrants on orders from President Donald Trump on Friday, as the Pentagon prepared to send even more troops to southern border, including from the Army's elite 82nd Airborne division.

Trump in his first day in office declared illegal immigration a national emergency, tasking the U.S. military with aiding border security, issuing a broad ban on asylum, and taking steps to restrict citizenship for children born on American soil.

His Jan. 20 executive order instructed the Pentagon to send as many troops as necessary to obtain "complete operational control of the southern border of the United States."

"Deportation flights have begun," White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said on a post on X.

On Friday, two U.S. military aircraft, each carrying about 80 migrants, flew from the United States to Guatemala, a U.S. official told reporters. 

Earlier this week, the Trump administration said the U.S. military would be sending 1,500 additional active-duty troops to the border with Mexico.

U.S. officials told Reuters that the military was preparing to send a second wave of troops to the border with Mexico as early as next week, which would likely include troops from the 82nd Airborne. The official said the additional troops could number in the thousands but a formal decision had not been made.

Troops from the 82nd Airborne division are usually prepared to deploy at short notice for crises around the world, typically  in conflict zones rather than to the United States' border with Mexico.

Reuters reported earlier this week that there had been informal discussions about sending as many as 10,000 troops over time, though a final figure had not been determined and troop numbers would depend on several factors, including impact on military readiness.

 (Reporting by Idrees Ali and Phil Stewart; Editing by Bill Berkrot)