President Donald Trump's administration is continuing military deportation flights, with the latest flight to Guatemala on Monday costing at least $4,675 per deported migrant, US and Guatemalan officials said, quoted by "Reuters".
That amount is more than five times the price of a one-way first-class ticket on American Airlines from El Paso, Texas, to Guatemala, which is $853. Moreover, the costs far exceed those of commercial charter flights used by the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
The military deportation flights are part of a national emergency declared by Trump on immigration. So far, six such flights have been sent to Latin America, but only four have reached their destinations. Two planes did not land after Colombia refused to accept US military aircraft, choosing instead to transport the migrants itself.
According to US officials, the C-17 military transport planes cost $28,500 per hour to operate. The flight to Guatemala and back took about 10.5 hours, not including time on the ground. That has led to a total cost of nearly $300,000 per flight.
A C-17 landed in Guatemala on Monday with 64 migrants on board, a Guatemalan official said.
In a statement to Republican lawmakers at his golf club in Doral, Florida, Trump stressed that he would continue to use military aircraft to deport illegal immigrants.
"For the first time in history, we are finding and loading illegal immigrants onto military aircraft and sending them back to where they came from," Trump said, drawing applause.
He added that countries that refuse to take back their citizens will suffer serious economic consequences.
White House press secretary Caroline Levitt posted photos of migrants boarding a military aircraft, saying:
"President Trump is sending a clear message to the entire world world: if you enter the United States illegally, you will face severe consequences."
The cost of military flights significantly exceeds that of commercial ICE flights. According to official immigration data, the cost of a chartered ICE flight in 2021 was $8,577 per flight hour.
In 2023, Acting ICE Director Ty Johnson told Congress that the cost of deportation flights had reached $17,000 per hour for 135 people, with one flight typically lasting five hours. This means that the cost per person for an ICE flight is about $630 - nearly seven times cheaper than a military C-17.
The US Department of Defense announced that it will provide military aircraft to deport more than 5,000 immigrants who are in El Paso, Texas, and San Diego, California.