Higher Costs Than Commercial Flights
Longer Flight Times and Larger Capacity
Since taking office, the Donald Trump administration, which has implemented a tough policy of deporting illegal immigrants, has stopped deporting immigrants using military transport planes.
On the 5th (local time), Yonhap News, citing The Wall Street Journal (WSJ), reported that the U.S. Department of Defense has not carried out forced deportations of illegal immigrants using military aircraft since the 1st. A flight scheduled for the 6th was also canceled.
Earlier, President Trump has been implementing a large-scale illegal immigrant deportation policy since his inauguration on January 20. Among these efforts, the U.S. federal authorities are using the detention facility at the Guantanamo Bay Naval Base in Cuba as an interim stopover for deportations. Over 200 Venezuelan nationals residing illegally were transferred to Guantanamo and were recently repatriated to their home country. Reuters·Yonhap News
Earlier, President Trump had launched a large-scale illegal immigrant deportation policy immediately after his inauguration on January 20. Among these, U.S. federal authorities have been using the detention facility at the Guantanamo Bay Naval Base in Cuba as an intermediate stopover for deportations. More than 200 Venezuelan nationals with illegal status were moved to Guantanamo and recently repatriated to their home country. In this process, U.S. authorities have mobilized military transport planes to transfer immigrants either to the Guantanamo base or back to their home countries.
Department of Defense officials told WSJ that the Trump administration chose military transport to widely publicize its tough stance on illegal immigrants. According to WSJ’s analysis based on flight tracking data, U.S. authorities conducted about 30 flights using C-17 transport planes and about 12 flights using C-130 Hercules transport planes. Destinations included not only Guantanamo but also India, Guatemala, Ecuador, Peru, Honduras, and Panama.
Earlier, President Trump has been implementing a large-scale illegal immigrant deportation policy since his inauguration on January 20. Among these efforts, the U.S. federal authorities are using the detention facility at the Guantanamo Bay Naval Base in Cuba as an interim stopover for deportations. Over 200 Venezuelan nationals residing illegally were transferred to Guantanamo and were recently repatriated to their home country. AFP·Yonhap News
WSJ pointed out, "Military transport moved fewer immigrants at a higher cost compared to the usual forced deportations using commercial airlines." For example, forced deportation flights to India cost $3 million (4.3 billion KRW) per flight, and at least $20,000 (29 million KRW) per person was spent to transfer 12 immigrants to Guantanamo, the outlet mentioned. Earlier, Reuters also estimated the operating cost of a C-17 transport plane at $28,500 (about 41.4 million KRW) per hour and noted that the deportation cost per immigrant using military aircraft was more expensive than a first-class ticket on a commercial airline.
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