New Deportation Flights Send ‘Strong and Clear Message’—Trump White House
Billal Rahman, Newsweek, January 24, 2025
New pictures of deportation flights show Donald Trump “is sending a strong and clear message to the entire world,” the White House press secretary has said.
Karoline Leavitt said Friday that “deportation flights have begun,” releasing two photos of people boarding a military aircraft that she said told: “if you illegally enter the United States of America, you will face severe consequences.”
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The new Trump administration has vowed to conduct the largest mass deportation operation in U.S. history.
The unauthorized immigrant population in the U.S stood at 11 million in 2022, according to a July 2024 report by think tank the Pew Research Center which made estimates based on the 2022 American Community Survey, the most recent available.
Americans largely support Trump’s mass deportation plans, but are divided on how they should be carried out.
A New York Times/Ipsos poll, which surveyed 2,128 adults from January 2 to 10, suggested 55 percent strongly or somewhat supported such plans. Eighty-eight percent supported “Deporting immigrant who are here illegally and have criminal records.” The poll had a margin of error of 2.6 percentage points in either direction.
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One of the two photos, released on X, formerly Twitter, was taken at Biggs Army Airfield at Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas, Fox News reported, citing U.S. Customs and Border Protection sources. The outlet said the plane had had a maximum capacity of 80 and was bound for Guatemala. Newsweek is working to verify further details.
The newly released pictures appear to show men in shacklings.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents have apprehended 538 undocumented immigrants, according to a January 23 update from the agency.
The Pentagon has said it will provide airlift support for DHS-operated flights to deport more than 5,000 individuals detained by Customs and Border Protection agents near San Diego and El Paso. It includes two C-130 Hercules and two C-17 Globemaster aircraft as well as UH-72 Lakota military helicopters, the Defense Department said.
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