Trump administration to stop using military aircraft for deportation due to high costs: Report
The last time a military flight was used for deportation was on March 1 and another flight which was scheduled for Thursday was cancelled, said an official.
The illegal immigrants being deported from the United States will now not be flown out in military planes as the Trump administration has stopped using military aircraft for the purpose, reported the Wall Street Journal citing defense officials.
The decision comes after the usage of military aircrafts to deport illegal immigrants to their respective countries or the military base at Guantanamo Bay came at high, unsustainable costs, the WSJ reported.
Deporting illegal immigrants has been a major highlight of President Donald Trump’s harsh crackdown on illegal immigration. He used military aircrafts to send people back home to many countries, including India, to send a clear message of the administration’s seriousness regarding the issue.
“The message is clear: If you break the law, if you are a criminal, you can find your way at Guantanamo Bay,” the WSJ quoted Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth as saying last week. “You don’t want to be at Guantanamo Bay,” he added.
The last time a military flight was used for deportation was on March 1 and another flight which was scheduled for Thursday was cancelled, said an official. This pause can be extended or even made permanent, officials informed.
$3 million a flight to India
According to flight-tracking data accessed by the WSJ, the C-17 aircraft was used for roughly 30 migrant flights and C-130 aircraft for a dozen such flights to various locations including India, Guatemala, Ecuador, Peru, Honduras, Panama and Guantanamo Bay.
However, these flights were found to be more expensive than using civilian aircrafts for deportation since the military aircrafts took longer routes and carried fewer people, the report said.
The US deported hundreds of India’s illegal immigrants thrice using their military aircraft. Each flight cost the US 3 million dollars, showed the Journal’s analysis. The Indian deportees brought back aboard US military deportation flights, while sharing their ordeal, revealed that they were handcuffed and chained throughout the journey.
Costs for some US military flights carrying a dozen people to Guantanamo went as high as $20,000 per migrant, the report said.
While the cost of a standard US Immigration and Customs Enforcement stands at $8,500 per flight hour, as per their website, the same cost goes up close to $17,000 per flight hour when it comes to international trips, former ICE officials told WSJ.
The C-17 US military aircraft, designed to carry heavy cargo and troops, however costs a whopping $28,000 per hour, according to US Transportation Command. Also, the C-17 aircrafts haven’t been using Mexico airspace, which added hours to the flight time and amped up the costs.
