(NewsNation) — The Trump administration is reporting a major uptick in deportation flights this week, to a variety of destinations across the globe.
Sources inside the U.S. Department of Homeland Security confirm that nine deportation flights to Mexico were scheduled just this week — a sharp increase up from the usual average of just one flight per week.
The surge demonstrates the broader shift in enforcement priorities under President Trump’s second term.
ICE Air Operations — the transportation division of Immigration and Customs Enforcement — this year has already deported more than 142,000 migrants, including 38,000 Mexican nationals.
DHS says flights like these are now happening almost daily, marking a major escalation in the administration’s effort to move quickly and quietly.
It’s not just Mexico. Trump political advisor Stephen Miller says ICE is now flying deportees to far-off destinations, such as Iraq, Yemen, Haiti and Angola.
“ICE is sending planes all over the world, all the time,” he said.
Meanwhile, Mexico is struggling to manage the repatriations. Only about one third of deported Mexicans are checking into ten government-run welcome centers near the border.
Most deportees don’t stay overnight, and many refuse help altogether.
Mexican officials admit they can’t force anyone to stay at the welcome centers. Some migrants take supplies and vanish, while others are flown deeper into Mexico, out of reach of support services.
Back home, the Trump administration is now shifting resources toward finding and deporting those who already made it into the U.S.
“Now that we have achieved the mission of sealing the border, you’re going to see more and more resources and priorities put into the mass deportation program,” Miller said.
Officials say this is just the beginning of what could become the largest enforcement surge in modern U.S. history.
