A U.S. military aircraft is deporting migrants to India, marking the farthest destination yet for deportation flights under the Trump administration, a U.S. official confirmed Monday.
The official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said the C-17 aircraft had departed with migrants on board but would not reach India for at least 24 hours.
The Trump administration has increasingly relied on the U.S. military to support its immigration enforcement efforts, deploying troops to the U.S.-Mexico border, using military bases to house migrants, and employing military aircraft to conduct deportation flights.
The Pentagon has begun providing military flights to deport more than 5,000 migrants currently held by U.S. authorities in El Paso, Texas, and San Diego, California, as part of the administration’s broader crackdown on illegal immigration.
So far, military aircraft have transported deportees to Guatemala, Peru, and Honduras. The addition of India marks an expansion of these efforts beyond Latin America.
Military deportation flights come at a significant cost. Reuters previously reported that a deportation flight to Guatemala using military aircraft last week likely cost at least $4,675 per migrant.
Despite the high costs, the Trump administration has defended the use of military resources, arguing that it accelerates the deportation process and deters illegal immigration.
The Pentagon has not disclosed further details about future deportation flights to India or other distant destinations.
