US deports Indian migrants in military plane, official says
A US military aircraft carrying Indian migrants has departed for India, marking the first deportation of its kind since President Donald Trump’s return to office, according to a US official who spoke to Reuters on Monday.
The official confirmed that a C-17 military aircraft had taken off with Indian migrants on board, expected to arrive in India within 24 hours, Reuters reported.
Under Trump’s administration, the US military has been increasingly involved in immigration enforcement, deploying additional troops to the US-Mexico border, using military facilities to accommodate migrants, and employing military planes for deportations.
According to Reuters, previous deportation flights have sent migrants to Guatemala, Peru, and Honduras. However, this is the first time India has been included in the military deportation programme since Trump reassumed office.
The Pentagon has now begun arranging flights to deport over 5,000 migrants detained in El Paso, Texas, and San Diego, California, the report added.