Mexico temporarily denied a U.S. military plane access to land on Thursday, disrupting the Trump administration’s plans to deport immigrants to the country, according to U.S. defense officials and sources familiar with the matter.
Two Air Force C-17 planes, each carrying approximately 80 deportees bound for Guatemala, successfully completed their missions on Thursday night. However, a third flight, intended to transport deportees to Mexico, was grounded, leaving its future uncertain.
The exact reason for Mexico’s decision remains unclear, but the move comes amid escalating tensions between the two neighboring countries. Since President Donald Trump’s election in November, relations have been strained by his threats to impose a 25% tariff on Mexican imports as retaliation for migrant crossings at the shared border. These tariffs, however, have not yet been enacted.
A White House official described the situation as “an administrative issue” that was “quickly rectified.” Afterward, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt tweeted that Mexico had accepted a record four deportation flights in a single day, though it remains unclear whether those flights were military, commercial, or private.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum’s administration has openly opposed unilateral U.S. immigration policies, including the revival of the “Remain in Mexico” program, which forces asylum seekers to stay in Mexico while their claims are processed in the U.S.
Flying deportees into foreign nations requires the host country’s consent, underscoring the importance of bilateral cooperation. Mexico’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not elaborate on the blocked flight, leaving the reasoning behind the decision subject to speculation.
The incident highlights the complex and often fraught nature of U.S.-Mexico relations on immigration issues and raises questions about the future of deportation policies under the Trump administration.
