US Suspends Military Deportation Flights: Report

Aakhir Tak – In Shorts

• The US suspended military deportation flights due to escalating costs.
• The Trump administration halted the use of military aircraft to transport undocumented migrants.
• Using military aircraft for deportation proved expensive and inefficient: WSJ report.
• A military deportation flight to Guatemala cost at least $4,675 per migrant.
• Trump declared a national emergency concerning immigration and deportations.

Aakhir Tak – In Depth

The Donald Trump administration has suspended the use of costly military aircraft to fly migrants who entered the US illegally, The Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday. The decision to suspend military deportation flights stems from escalating costs associated with the process.

The report said that the use of US military aircraft to transport some migrants to their home countries or to a military base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, has proved expensive and inefficient. Utilizing military aircraft for deportation purposes was deemed significantly more costly than alternative methods.

US defense officials told The Wall Street Journal that no flights were scheduled for the coming days, with the last military deportation flight occurring March 1. They said the pause could be extended or made permanent.

Deportation Flight Cost Exceeded First Class Fares

A report by the news agency Reuters said that a US military deportation flight to Guatemala cost at least $4,675 per migrant, according to data provided by US and Guatemalan officials. The exorbitant cost of these deportation flights raised concerns and prompted scrutiny.

That is more than five times the $853 cost of a one-way first-class ticket on American Airlines from El Paso, Texas, the departure point for the flight, according to a review of publicly available airfares.

It is also significantly higher than the cost of a commercial charter flight by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The disparity in cost between military flights and commercial alternatives highlighted the economic inefficiency of the military deportation program.

US President Donald Trump was elected on a promise to carry out the biggest deportation “in the history of America”. While most of the migrants being targeted for expulsion come from Latin America, some are also being sent back much further across the globe. Trump launched the military deportation flights in January as part of his national emergency declaration on immigration, so far sending six planeloads of migrants on flights to Latin America. The deportation of migrants via military aircraft has remained a contentious issue.

Aakhir Tak – Key Takeaways to Remember

• The US suspended military flights used for deportations due to high costs.
• The Trump administration ceased using military aircraft to transport undocumented migrants.
• WSJ reports military aircraft were an expensive and inefficient means of deportation.
• A single military deportation flight to Guatemala cost $4,675 per migrant.
• Trump declared a national emergency related to immigration and deportation measures.

Aakhir Tak Editor-in-Chief

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