The Department of Defense of the United States —a name adopted by the Pentagon under the Trump administration— published a direct warning message to migrants in irregular situations this Friday: they will be arrested and deported to a destination chosen by the U.S. government, without having a say in the decision.
The message, shared on the official account @DeptofWar on X, states: "If you are in our country illegally, law enforcement agents will arrest you, and the Department of War will assist in deporting you to a location of our choice. You will have no say in the matter."
The statement also reported that this week the Department of Defense supported two repatriation flights from the Office of Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) heading to Honduras, and concluded with the phrase: "We will continue to defend our Homeland."
The phrase "to a place of our choosing" is not an empty rhetorical expression: it reflects a migration policy that the U.S. has systematically applied, deporting migrants to third countries other than their country of origin when there are diplomatic agreements or operational convenience.
Between January 20, 2025, and March 9, 2026, the U.S. deported nearly 13,000 nationals from third countries to Mexico. Cubans were the largest group: approximately 4,353 individuals sent to Mexican territory during that period.
Honduras, destination mentioned in today's message, is one of the main recipients of removal flights. In March 2026 alone, 43 flights were recorded with 4,007 Hondurans deported, all landing at Ramón Villeda Morales International Airport in San Pedro Sula.
The Department of War has been operating under this name since September 5, 2025, when Trump signed Executive Order 14347, titled "Restoring the United States Department of War."
The order authorizes Secretary Pete Hegseth and subordinate officials to use the titles "Secretary of War" and "Department of War" in official communications and non-statutory documents.
The legal name of the Pentagon remains the Department of Defense, as a permanent change would require Congressional approval.
The White House justified the measure as a restoration of the original "message of strength and determination": the Department of War existed from 1789 until Congress renamed it in 1949.
The intimidating tone of today's message aligns with the communication strategy that the Trump administration has employed since its return to power to deter irregular migration. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) stated that since January 20, 2025, there have been over 605,000 deportations and 1.9 million "self-deportations."
The Supreme Court has supported the government's ability to carry out deportations to third countries in 2025 and 2026, thereby expanding the executive's scope of action in immigration matters without the need for additional legislative approval.
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