White House Says Deportation Flights on Military Aircraft Have Begun

On Friday morning, hundreds of unauthorized immigrants were deported via military aircraft.

Key Quotes: White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt posted on X, “Deportation flights have begun. President Trump is sending a strong and clear message to the entire world: if you illegally enter the United States of America, you will face severe consequences.” On Thursday, she wrote, “The Trump Administration arrested 538 illegal immigrant criminals including a suspected terrorist, four members of the Tren de Aragua gang, and several illegals convicted of sex crimes against minors."

For Context: Though the United States has used deportation flights in the past, the use of military planes for deportation comes as a result of an executive order President Trump signed this week. Trump centered immigration reform as a top issue in his campaign and confirmed his plans to halt unauthorized entry and return unauthorized immigrants to their home countries. His plans to focus on large-scale deportation come on the heels of the Biden administration, which US Immigration and Customs Enforcement data tracked as having the highest number of deportations since 2014. 

How the Media Covered It: Business Insider (Lean Left bias) reported on the hundreds of deportations using military aircraft, but contextualized it against the Biden administration, reporting that “Deportations surged under former President Joe Biden but to less fanfare.” The Hill (Center) similarly quoted a senior fellow with the American Immigration Council reminding his followers that deportations were higher under Biden’s administration than during Trump’s previous term. Newsmax (Right bias) included at the end of its coverage that "The administration argues that the deportations are necessary for securing the border."