Mexico has declined a request from President Donald Trump‘s administration to permit a U.S. military aircraft, tasked with deporting migrants, to land on its territory, according to officials from both the U.S. and Mexico who spoke to Reuters.

On Friday, U.S. military aircraft conducted two flights to Guatemala, each carrying approximately 80 migrants. However, plans for a C-17 transport aircraft to land in Mexico were halted after the country refused permission.

The decision, initially reported by NBC News, was confirmed by both U.S. and Mexican officials, although the Mexican official did not specify the rationale behind the denial.

Requests for comments from the U.S. State Department, the Pentagon, and Mexico’s foreign ministry went unanswered.

Relations between the U.S. and Mexico have intensified since Trump commenced his second term on Monday, declaring a national emergency at the shared border. He has deployed 1,500 additional U.S. troops to the area, with indications that more could follow soon.

The president has labeled Mexican drug cartels as terrorist organizations, renamed the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America, and threatened to impose a 25% tariff on Mexican goods starting in February.

In response, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has aimed to de-escalate tensions and has shown willingness to accommodate Mexican nationals being returned. However, she has expressed opposition to mass deportations, emphasizing the importance of Mexican immigrants to the U.S. economy.

The deployment of U.S. military aircraft for deportation flights is a measure taken by the Pentagon in response to President Trump’s national emergency declaration issued on Monday. Historically, U.S. military planes have facilitated the relocation of individuals between countries, as seen during the withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021. According to a U.S. official, this marks the first instance in recent history where military aircraft have been utilized to transport migrants out of the United States.

The Pentagon has announced plans to utilize military flights to deport over 5,000 immigrants currently in custody in El Paso, Texas, and San Diego, California. Additionally, Guatemalan authorities reported that a third flight carrying approximately 80 deported migrants arrived on Friday via a chartered commercial aircraft.