Brazil's Ministry of Foreign Affairs plans to seek explanations from the U.S. government over the "degrading treatment" of Brazilians on a deportation flight, the ministry wrote on X on Saturday night.

The spat comes as Latin America grapples with US President Donald Trump's return to power bringing a hard-line anti-immigration agenda, promising crackdowns on irregular migration and mass deportations.

Brazilian officials demanded that U.S. agents remove handcuffs from a group of deportees who were flown to the South American country on Friday, with a prominent minister in President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's government calling the practice "blatant disrespect" for the rights of his fellow citizens.

Brazil's Ministry of Foreign Affairs demands clarification from the U.S. over the alleged poor treatment of Brazilian deportees on a recent flight. Upon arrival, passengers reported mistreatment and were initially handcuffed.