Migrants seen lining up to board deportation flights

The military has begun “deportation flights” ordered by President Trump, the White House said Friday, releasing pictures of long lines of shackled migrants boarding planes out of the country.

“Deportation flights have begun,” press secretary Karoline Leavitt wrote in a post to X. 

“President Trump is sending a strong and clear message to the entire world: if you illegally enter the United States of America, you will face severe consequences.”

At least two C-17 Globemaster III planes flew migrants to Guatemala, defense officials told ABC News, with one noting at least one took off from Biggs Army Field near Fort Bliss in Texas.

The Guatemalan Migration Institute confirmed in a statement that 79 Guatemalans returned to the country, including 31 adult women and 48 adult men, according to NBC.

“The Trump Administration also deported hundreds of illegal immigrant criminals via military aircraft,” Leavitt posted to X. “The largest massive deportation operation in history is well underway.”

Tom Homan says ICE deportation operations have begun

Trump 'border czar' Tom Homan outlines the administration’s deportation strategy on ‘America Reports.’

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White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt announced Friday that “deportation flights have begun,” releasing photos of people boarding military aircraft.@PressSec/X

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It is not immediately clear who was boarding the planes or where the images were taken.@PressSec/X

“Promises made. Promises kept.”

The same day, US Immigration and Customs Enforcement reported they had arrested 538 migrants illegally in the country and lodged 373 detainers.

Among those 538 were “a suspected terrorist, four members of the Tren de Aragua gang and several illegals convicted of sex crimes against minors,” the press secretary said.

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ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations arrested more than 460 illegal immigrants with criminal histories of sexual assault, robbery, burglary, aggravated assault, drug and weapons offenses, resisting arrest, and domestic violence, according to reports.Kevin C Downs forThe New York Post

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“President Trump is sending a strong and clear message to the entire world: if you illegally enter the United States of America, you will face severe consequences,” Leavitt announced on Friday on X.AP

The arrests began at midnight Tuesday and included migrants from more than a dozen nations, including Afghanistan, Angola, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Senegal and Venezuela, according to Fox News Digital.

The Trump administration is also deploying 1,500 active-duty troops to the US-Mexico border, with many given orders to fly helicopters to help Border Patrol agents and assist with constructing barriers,  Acting Defense Secretary Robert Salesses said Wednesday.

““This is just the beginning,” he said. “In short order, the department will develop and execute additional missions in cooperation with DHS, federal agencies, and state partners to address the full range of threats outlined by the President at our nation’s borders.”

There were already approximately 2,500 personnel at the border supporting Customs and Border Protection’s operations through Thursday, January 23, “a senior defense official said Friday.”

The 1,500 additional troops “are en route and began to arrive overnight,”and more will be sent if needed, including up to 2,000 additional Marines, officials have said.

As of Friday, there were no plans to give the troops any law enforcement tasks — which would represent a major shift in US military policy on domestic soil. Any further decisions on the matter would have to be made by the White House, an official said.

https://nypost.com/2025/01/24/us-news/white-house-says-deportation-flights-have-begun-under-trump/