Mexico Blocks, Then Reverses Decision on U.S. Deportation Flight
The reason behind Mexico's initial refusal remains unclear.
Mexico blocked a U.S. military flight carrying deportees on Thursday before reversing its decision hours later highlighting ongoing diplomatic friction between the two countries over immigration policy.
The temporary halt delayed one of the Trump administration’s deportation plans, although two other flights carrying migrants to Guatemala took off as scheduled.
Sources from the U.S. Department of Defense and other officials confirmed that the military aircraft, scheduled to land in Mexico, was denied entry, preventing the deportation of those onboard.
The reason behind Mexico's initial refusal remains unclear, but tensions between the two countries have been escalating since President Donald Trump took office.
In the days leading up to the incident, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum had expressed opposition to accepting U.S. deportees.
However, after the blockage, her government quickly reversed course, agreeing to accept the deportation flights later that day. A total of four deportation flights from the U.S. to Mexico were allowed to proceed, all of which were operated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), not military personnel.
A White House official downplayed the incident, labeling it an "administrative issue" that was swiftly resolved. Similarly, a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson clarified that the accepted flights were government-chartered by ICE, not military aircraft.
The incident highlights the ongoing tensions between the U.S. and Mexico over immigration policy. The two countries have been at odds since Trump’s election, with the U.S. president threatening hefty tariffs on Mexican goods in retaliation for the flow of migrants across the shared border.
Though such tariffs have not been imposed, the diplomatic strain continues, further complicated by the Trump administration’s push to reinstate the controversial "Remain in Mexico" policy, which forces asylum seekers to wait in Mexico while their claims are processed in the U.S.