by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Correspondent
(Worthy News) – The Trump administration has suspended transporting illegal migrants using military aircraft to Guantanamo Bay or other nations, citing high costs and inefficiencies, according to The Wall Street Journal (WSJ).
Since President Trump’s second term began with a focus on curbing illegal immigration, his administration initially utilized military aircraft for deporting migrants, a task usually managed by the Department of Homeland Security.
Last week, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth emphasized the administration’s strict stance last week, stating, “The message is clear: If you break the law, if you are a criminal, you can find your way at Guantanamo Bay,” during his visit to Guantanamo Bay where he observed migrants arriving on a C-130 aircraft. He added, “You don’t want to be at Guantanamo Bay.”
However, the last such flight occurred on March 1, and the Pentagon has confirmed no further flights are scheduled.
The suspension of military deportation flights, which aimed to emphasize a strict immigration stance, might become a permanent policy, officials indicated.
According to flight-tracking data, the Trump administration used military C-17 and C-130 aircraft for approximately 30 and a dozen migrant flights, respectively, to destinations including India, Guatemala, and Guantanamo Bay.
However, these military flights were less efficient and more expensive than typical civilian deportation flights, with longer routes and higher costs per migrant.
For example, three flights to India cost $3 million each, and some flights to Guantanamo carried migrants at a cost of at least $20,000 each, according to WSJ.
According to U.S. Transportation Command, flying a C-17, typically used for heavy cargo and troops, costs $28,500 per hour.
In contrast, a standard U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) flight costs about $8,500 per hour, with former ICE officials estimating the cost at $17,000 per hour for international trips, WSJ reported.
Copyright 1999-2025 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
Latest News from Worthy News
Undeterred by U.S. President Donald J. Trump’s threat to impose new sanctions and tariffs, Russia struck Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region late Friday, killing four people and wounding 18 others, officials said.
In the Oval Office on Friday, U.S. President Donald Trump told reporters that the United States might take military action against Iran’s nuclear program “very soon” if no deal is reached.
More than 70 people have died in heavy clashes between security forces of Syria’s new rulers and fighters loyal to the ousted President Bashar al-Assad, a well-informed war monitoring group confirmed Friday.
The U.S. State Department has launched an AI-driven ‘Catch and Revoke’ program to revoke the visas of foreign nationals, including students, identified as supporters of Hamas or other terrorist organizations, Axios reported.
Israel is pleased that Moscow wants to maintain its Russian military bases in Syria, and Jerusalem asked Washington to allow Russia to keep these facilities, Worthy News learned Friday.
The European Union rushed to unveil its largest defense plan on record as U.S. President Donald J. Trump threatened not to protect NATO military alliance allies if they do not pay more for their defense.
President Donald Trump defends his administration’s direct negotiations with Hamas, stating, ‘We are helping Israel in those discussions because we’re talking about Israeli hostages.’ However, Israel opposes these negotiations, according to an official familiar with the matter, according to The Times of Israel.