This is the most frustrating and stupid news cycle - the US government has been sending folks back to Colombia via commercial flights since like 2020. The Biden administration sent 124 flights last year. The only difference is that the Trump team wanted to make a big show of sending people in chains on a military flight, and the Colombian government wanted their citizens to be treated like human beings. Our media is shamefully inadequate to this moment.
Optics discussion aside, I think it cost like $800k to transport them via C130. There’s no reason to use this method other than to grandstand. They’ve sent thousands of folks back to Colombia via commercial and chartered flights.