By Idrees Ali and Phil Stewart
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. military C-17 aircraft began flying detained migrants out of the country on Friday, following orders from President Donald Trump, as the Pentagon prepared to send more troops to the southern border, including from the Army’s elite 82nd Airborne division.
Two U.S. military aircraft, each carrying about 80 migrants, flew from the U.S. to Guatemala, a U.S. official told Reuters.
“Guatemala and the United States are committed to putting an end to illegal migration and strengthening border security. Starting with two flights today,” the State Department said.
In the past, U.S. military aircraft have been used to relocate individuals from one country to another, like during the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021.
This was the first time in recent memory that U.S. military aircraft were being used to fly migrants out of the U.S., one official said.
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.
The Pentagon has said that the U.S. military would provide flights for the deportations of more than 5,000 immigrants held by U.S. authorities in El Paso, Texas, and San Diego, California.
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 U.S. border with Mexico.
Reuters reported 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.
During his first term, Republican Trump ordered 5,200 troops to help secure the border with Mexico. Democratic former President Joe Biden deployed active-duty troops to the border as well.
(Reporting by Idrees Ali and Phil Stewart. Additional reporting by Simon Lewis; Editing by Bill Berkrot, Philippa Fletcher and David Gregorio)
