By admin 
US spent $24,000 per deportee to India using military aircraft
The United States deported 104 illegal Indian immigrants on a C-17 military aircraft to Amritsar, which cost American taxpayers $24,000 per person. According to a top Democratic Senator, two others have appealed to the Defense Secretary to use a charter flight for deportations, as was the procedure during the previous Biden Administration.
Under the Trump administration, the U.S. has increased its use of military aircraft to deport undocumented migrants, a move that highlights the administration’s firm stance on immigration. However, this method is significantly more expensive than using commercial charter flights. While these flights may serve political goals, the cost is high. A recent deportation flight to India cost around $1 million.
Here are some key points regarding the cost and logistics:
Cost Breakdown:
The cost to deport 64 migrants to Guatemala on the C-17 aircraft was around $28,500 per hour.
Reuters estimates one military flight costs at least $4,675 per deportee, which is more than five times the cost of a first-class ticket on a commercial airline.
The cost of operating a C-17 aircraft is about $28,500 per hour.
A flight from San Antonio, Texas, to Amritsar takes over 19 flight hours with multiple stops, costing over half a million dollars.
The total cost of the deportation flight to India is estimated to exceed $1 million, translating to more than $10,000 per deportee.
Comparison to ICE Flights:
ICE deportation flights cost a far more affordable amount per person.
In April 2023, the acting ICE director Tae Johnson, stated deportation flights cost $17,000 per flight hour for 135 deportees and typically lasted five hours.
Aircraft and Route:
The deportation flight utilized a C-17A Globemaster III.
The flight took off from Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego, California, and made a long detour. It flew west to Hawaii, crossed the Pacific to the Luzon Strait near the Philippines, flew between Indonesia and Malaysia, then took a large detour south into the Indian Ocean to a US air base on Diego Garcia, before flying north to India.
Political Implications:
Some countries, like Colombia and Mexico, have refused to let US military aircraft land to drop off deported migrants.
The deportations come amid reports that Prime Minister Narendra Modi may visit the US next week and that immigration is expected to be a key topic in talks with President Trump.
India has reiterated its stance against illegal immigration and has indicated it is open to the “legitimate return” of Indians living illegally in the US.
Gill Bikram Singh