US President Donald Trump was elected on the promise that he would enact mass deportations of undocumented immigrants. And that reality came home to Belize today, when, for the first time, 21 Belizeans were deported from the US on a charter flight.

It's not a huge deal - less than two dozen deportees on a jet with scores of them - but what's important for the Trump Administration are the optics and the messaging - which the Government of Belize appeared only too willing to play up to.

Our team was on the ground throughout and Courtney Menzies has this story.

21 Belizeans who had been living illegally in the US landed at the PGIA at 11:17 this morning. They came on a chartered Airbus 321 out of Louisiana with about 120 other passengers that were headed for Chile and Peru.

Most of the Belizeans were deported due to overstaying their VISA or illegal entry. One person was wanted for an attempted murder back in 2023. But during the entire process, the PGIA was under very heavy guard from the police department and the airport security - which meant that parts of the airport like the waving gallery were closed to the public.

After the plane landed, it was directed to a taxiway at the far western edge of the apron - far from the scrutiny of our lens - where the passengers deplaned and were processed by a team of Customs, Immigration and police who were set up in that area.

After two and a half hours of this they were placed on an old yellow school bus, which left the airport at 1:45. They were then taken to the Queen Street Police Station for further processing. Art least two of the persons were detained for questioning, while one was held pending attempted murder charges.

It's not the first time Belizeans have been deported since the start of the Trump administration - some have been sent back on commercial flights. However, this is the largest number of persons sent back at one time - and the first charter plane. The Public Affairs Officer at the US Embassy explained that this method is more cost-effective and efficient. He also emphasized that these Belizeans weren't just pulled out of their homes and placed on a flight.

Luke Martin, Public Affairs Officer, US Embassy:
"So, it's not like they were just scooped up off the street and put on a plane. Everybody had the right to due process, went to court, had their hearings, had their appeals. So this happened through, you know, legal means for sure."

"This was not, you know, knocking down doors and walking to houses. These were people that were all in the United States illegally. The majority of them had crossed into the United States illegally, and then the rest of them were overstays, had visas, and they overstayed as well. And the majority of them did have some kind of, criminal offense in the United States as well."

And this charter flight is likely not the last that will come into Belize since the Trump Administration is cracking down on illegal immigration. And an event like this sends a message to Belizeans either living in the US or considering migrating.

Luke Martin, Public Affairs Officer, US Embassy:
"You know, in a lot of ways, this is a new message to Belize. I think other Central American countries have heard this before, through past administrations, that illegal immigration is not something that's tolerated. This is always been the law. So the difference is, you know, coming here, it's a different optic with a charter plane coming in and everybody notices it. It becomes big news. But still, illegal immigration is not something that has been tolerated. There's a zero tolerance policy. Again, due process, legal appeals. People have the right to do that for different reasons as well."

Courtney Menzies:
"Do you think that affects, though, the confidence between the two countries and the relationship that that they enjoy?"

Luke Martin, Public Affairs Officer, US Embassy:
"Do you mean between Belize and US? Well, again, cooperation, I mean, this was not a surprise. This is something that right from the beginning of this current administration, that the Belize government was like, yeah, absolutely. We will take Belizeans who have overstayed or in the United States illegally will take them back. The same way that if there's Americans that are in Belize that have overstayed their visa, that have criminal charges here, they're returned to the United States as well."

Courtney Menzies:
"Will we be seeing more of these types of flights - I mean, the amount of persons coming on these charter flights?"

Luke Martin, Public Affairs Officer, US Embassy:
"You know, I think my guess and I'm just saying a guest on this, yes. I mean, if the administration is moving towards charter flights, it's more cost effective to have a number of people rather than just one offs and two offs on regular United American flights coming here."

And many of the returning Belizeans have been in the US for years - some maybe almost their entire life. While it is not easy, they will have to re-adjust to Belize, having left their lives in the US.

It's the same for other migrants who have been deported, and Martin says that some even choose to self-deport.

Luke Martin, Public Affairs Officer, US Embassy:
"I did know that, so yesterday Honduras had one of the first regional flights, with people that self deported. You know, you've seen it reported that, you know, $1,000US is given to people that decide to self-deport. Flight provided and head back. And there were children and there were parents and families on that flight as well. And I do know that this administration is really pushing for self-deportation rather than, you know, something like this is difficult. And, if people are there illegally and they decide, yeah, it's time for me to get back to my family, my work in Belize, that self-deportation through the CBP home app is an a way to do it. And we just saw it in Honduras, and the reports were that it was effective and easy for them."

But now, there's mixed feelings among the wider Belizean public. However, one resident says that the stigma surrounding deportees needs to end.

Jose Alfredo Gomez, Resident:
"A lot of these people that are coming back are people that have been hard workers in the US, have paid their taxes. I don't know if they all have but I would assume that most of them."

"Stigmatizing these people I believe is not right, I have seen so many people criticizing our own Belizean brothers and sisters online. Please allow me to say something to our Belizean people: these people are most of the time highly skilled because they had to be motivated due to the types of jobs they had to do in the US and lost everything if they're being sent back unfortunately under the Trump administration. So my point again is, gentlemen, ladies, please welcome our Belizean people."

For context, Guatemala receives upwards of 18 charter flights per week.

Before this charter, about 5 Belizeans were being deported per week on commercial flights.