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 Stories from Worthy News
Hamas has formally rejected Israel’s latest ceasefire proposal, criticizing it as a “partial” deal that fails to guarantee a complete end to the war or a full withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza.
The United States may abandon efforts to broker peace between Russia and Ukraine within days if no clear progress is made, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned on April 18. Speaking after talks in Paris with European and Ukrainian leaders, Rubio said President Trump is prepared to “move on” from the negotiations in the absence of any clear signs of progress.
A Pakistani anti-terrorism court sentenced a Christian man to death on Good Friday on controversial charges of blasphemy against Islam, Christians told Worthy News.
Christians across autocratically-ruled Nicaragua “are celebrating Holy Week” leading up to Easter under the watchful eye of police and paramilitary forces, Christians told Worthy News on Good Friday.
Italy’s rightwing Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni says U.S. President Donald J. Trump has accepted her invitation for an official trip to Rome at a time when the third largest economy in the European Union tries to bridge differences between the EU and the U.S. over trade and security.