U.S. President Donald Trump faced a major setback from Mexico, as his administration’s request to land a military plane in the country was denied. Mexico firmly refused to comply with the U.S. request.
According to a Sky News report on Saturday (January 25), three U.S. military flights landed in Guatemala on Friday, each carrying about 80 deported migrants. The Trump administration had a similar plan for Mexico, requesting permission to land a C-17 transport plane there. However, Mexico declined the request, and as a result, the U.S. military plane could not land in Mexico.
Earlier this week, the Trump administration announced the reimplementation of the “Remain in Mexico” policy. Under this program, non-Mexican asylum seekers attempting to enter the U.S. are required to stay in Mexico until their cases are resolved. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum strongly opposed the policy on Wednesday, but the U.S. State and Defense Departments have not commented on the matter.
Trump, who began his second term as President on January 20, declared a state of emergency along the U.S.-Mexico border on the same day. He has also ordered the deployment of an additional 1,500 troops to the border, with plans to deploy thousands more in the near future, according to officials. This is expected to further escalate tensions between the two countries.
Additionally, Trump announced a 25% tariff on Mexican goods starting in February. However, Sheinbaum has expressed a desire to avoid direct conflict and has proposed talks with the U.S. She also opposed the mass deportation of Mexican migrants, stating that they are vital to the U.S. economy.
The U.S. has previously used military planes to transport individuals between countries. A similar incident was recently seen in Afghanistan in 2021.
A U.S. official stated that using military planes to deport migrants is unprecedented in recent history. Reports indicate that over 5,000 migrants are currently detained in Texas and California, awaiting deportation by the U.S.