U.S. President Donald Trump proceeded with military deportation flights on Monday, dispatching another planeload of migrants to Guatemala following a tense situation with Colombia over C-17 aircraft landings.
Two U.S. officials confirmed that the aircraft landed in Guatemala on Monday afternoon from Texas, carrying 64 people. Reuters was first to report on this flight.
As tensions between the U.S. and Colombia continued, Bogota announced its intentions to pick up migrants in the U.S., a move described as a "win-win" situation despite White House claims of Colombia agreeing to accept deportation flights.
Trump, addressing Republican lawmakers at his Doral golf club, pledged to persist with the use of military aircraft for deportations, heralding the recent events as a triumph in his immigration policy.
Guatemala has been the sole recipient of military deportation flights thus far, with the latest flight being the third successful one to land in the country.
Following objections from Colombian President Gustavo Petro over the deportations, Colombia initially denied landing permission for U.S. aircraft, leading to retaliatory measures by Trump.
A potential trade war was averted by Colombia's reconsideration, given the significant economic ties between the two countries.
The use of U.S. military aircraft for deportation is a response to Trump's recent immigration emergency declaration, with over 5,000 migrants slated for deportation from El Paso, Texas, and San Diego, California.
Although U.S. military aircraft have been used for relocation purposes in the past, this marks the first instance in recent memory where they have been employed for transporting migrants out of the country.
In addition to deportation flights, Trump has involved the military in border security, implemented asylum restrictions, and introduced measures to limit birthright citizenship.