Summary
The U.S. military’s deportation flight to Guatemala, ordered by Trump, cost approximately $4,675 per migrant—over five times the price of a first-class commercial ticket.
The C-17 military aircraft operation is significantly more expensive than ICE’s commercial charter flights, which cost around $630 per person.
Trump defended the policy, vowing to continue deportations and warning countries that refuse cooperation.
The program, part of Trump’s national emergency declaration, has already deported hundreds, though some countries, like Colombia, have resisted.
I don’t wanna be that guy, but these pilots and planes gotta keep flying for training and logging proper hours. If it wasn’t this, it was going to be something else.
Still deplorable, but it’s hard to say that this specific action incurred the high cost of the flight. A flight of some form or another on this same plane was going to need to happen anyway.