Trump-era US-Mexico border sees mass deportations and $2.6 billion Pentagon costs

Over the weekend, 656 Mexican nationals were air‑deported to Tapachula, Chiapas, on five flights operated by Global Crossin Airlines and Eastern Express Airline from U.S. cities including Houston, Abilene, Alexandria, Harlingen and El Paso. The group comprised 581 men, 60 women and 15 minors and was received under the "Mexico te Abraza" program coordinated by federal, state and municipal authorities. Official data show that air deportations from the United States to Mexico’s southern border doubled in the first quarter of the year compared with the previous quarter, bringing the total number of deported Mexicans since President Donald Trump returned to office in January 2025 to 217,976.

A Pentagon report released by the Government Accountability Office indicates that the U.S. Department of Defense has spent at least $2.64 billion on operations along the southwestern border up to 31 March. The spending includes reallocated funds for land and air patrols, barrier construction, detention‑facility support and related logistics, with $1.74 billion transferred from existing military maintenance budgets and $336 million from personnel accounts. Additional allocations covered border‑security activities, detention‑center construction, and support for the Southern Guard operation at Guantánamo Bay.