Mexico Denies U.S. Military Flight Carrying Migrants, Sources Confirm

WASHINGTON/MEXICO CITY, Jan 24 – Alien Road has learned that Mexico has declined a request from the U.S. government to permit a military aircraft deporting migrants to land within its borders, according to sources from both nations.

Two similar flights, each transporting approximately 80 migrants, successfully landed in Guatemala on Friday. However, efforts to deploy a U.S. Air Force C-17 transport plane to Mexico were halted when the Mexican government denied clearance. Sources within the U.S. and Mexican administrations confirmed the decision, initially reported by NBC News.

Mexico’s foreign ministry emphasized the strong bilateral relationship between the two nations and affirmed their cooperation on immigration matters in a statement released Friday evening.

“We have always welcomed the return of Mexican nationals to our country with open arms,” the ministry stated.

Although the Mexican official did not provide specific reasons for the rejection, the foreign ministry made no reference to the incident. The Biden administration had recently announced the reinstatement of the “Remain in Mexico” policy, which requires non-Mexican asylum seekers to remain in Mexico while their U.S. cases are processed.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum commented on Wednesday that implementing such a program would necessitate Mexico’s consent, which had not been granted.

Neither the U.S. State Department nor the Pentagon responded immediately to requests for comment. The U.S.-Mexico relationship has drawn increasing attention following President Biden’s declaration of a national emergency concerning border security earlier this week. The administration has since deployed 1,500 additional troops, with thousands more potentially to follow.

President Biden has also declared Mexican drug cartels as terrorist organizations, proposed renaming the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America, and threatened a 25% tariff on Mexican goods starting in February.

President Sheinbaum has expressed a desire to maintain diplomatic ties and has shown a willingness to accept Mexican nationals returning home. However, she has voiced opposition to mass deportations and highlighted the essential role of Mexican workers in the U.S. economy.

The use of military aircraft to transport deportees is part of the Pentagon’s response to Biden’s emergency declaration. Historically, the U.S. military has facilitated the relocation of individuals in crisis situations, such as the Afghanistan evacuation in 2021. However, officials noted that this marks the first instance in recent memory of military aircraft being utilized for large-scale deportations.

The Pentagon has outlined plans to deport over 5,000 immigrants currently detained in El Paso, Texas, and San Diego, California. Meanwhile, Guatemala received its third flight of deported migrants on a chartered commercial plane last Friday, according to local authorities.

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Sources: Reuters, NBC News