WASHINGTON/MEXICO CITY, (Reuters) – Mexico has denied a request from the U.S. government to allow a U.S. military aircraft carrying deported migrants to land in the country, according to U.S. and Mexican officials.
Two U.S. military aircraft, each carrying approximately 80 migrants, were flown to Guatemala on Friday. However, the U.S. was unable to proceed with plans for a C-17 transport aircraft to land in Mexico after the country denied permission.
A U.S. official and a Mexican official confirmed the decision, which was first reported by NBC News.
Mexico’s foreign ministry, in a statement late on Friday, acknowledged a “very strong relationship” with the U.S. and emphasized cooperation on immigration issues.
“When it comes to repatriations, we will always accept the arrival of Mexicans to our territory with open arms,” the ministry stated.
The Mexican official did not provide a reason for denying landing permission, and the foreign ministry did not specifically address the incident.
Earlier this week, the Trump administration announced the reinstatement of the “Remain in Mexico” program, which requires non-Mexican asylum seekers to wait in Mexico while their U.S. immigration cases are processed.
Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador stated on Wednesday that such a move would require the agreement of the country receiving the asylum-seekers, and that Mexico had not given its consent.
The U.S. State Department and the Pentagon did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
U.S.-Mexico relations have significantly deteriorated since Trump’s inauguration, marked by heightened tensions and aggressive rhetoric. Trump declared a national emergency along the border on Monday, authorizing the deployment of 1,500 additional U.S. troops. Officials have indicated that thousands more could be deployed in the near future.
The president has taken several provocative actions, including declaring Mexican drug cartels terrorist organizations, renaming the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America, and threatening to impose a 25% tariff on all Mexican goods starting in February.
López Obrador has sought to de-escalate tensions and has expressed willingness to accept the return of Mexican nationals. However, he has firmly opposed mass deportations and emphasized the significant contribution of Mexican immigrants to the U.S. economy.
The use of U.S. military aircraft for deportation flights is a component of the Pentagon’s response to Trump’s national emergency declaration. While U.S. military aircraft have been utilized in the past to transport individuals between countries, such as during the 2021 withdrawal from Afghanistan, this marks the first known instance of their use to deport migrants from the United States.
The Pentagon has announced plans to utilize U.S. military flights to deport more than 5,000 immigrants currently detained by U.S. authorities in El Paso, Texas, and San Diego, California.
On Friday, Guatemala also received a third flight carrying approximately 80 deported migrants, transported on a chartered commercial aircraft, according to Guatemalan authorities.
