US military C-17 aircraft began transporting migrants on the orders of President Donald Trump on Friday as the Pentagon prepares to send even more troops to the southern border, including from the Army's elite 82nd Airborne Division, reports Reuters.
On his first day in office, Trump declared illegal immigration a national emergency, tasking the US military with helping secure the border, issuing a broad ban on asylum and taking steps to limit citizenship for children born on American soil.
His executive order on January 20 instructed the Pentagon to send as many troops as necessary to gain "full operational control of the southern border of the United States states".
"Deportation flights have begun", White House spokeswoman Caroline Leavitt said in an X post.
On Friday, two U.S. military planes, each carrying about 80 migrants, took off from the United States for Guatemala, a U.S. official told reporters.
Earlier this week, the Trump administration said the U.S. military would send 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, likely including troops from the 82nd Airborne Division. The official said the additional troops could number in the thousands, but no formal decision has been made.
Troops from the 82nd Airborne Division are typically ready to deploy on short notice to crises around the world, usually in conflict zones, not to the United States border with Mexico.
Reuters reported earlier this week that there had been informal discussions about sending up to 10,000 troops over time, although a final number has not been determined and the number of troops will depend on several factors, including the impact on military readiness.