The incoming Trump administration is reportedly preparing a list of countries, including Turks and Caicos, the Bahamas, Panama, and Grenada, to which migrants may be deported if their home countries refuse to accept them. This plan could result in thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, of migrants being permanently displaced in unfamiliar countries. It is unclear if migrants would be allowed to legally remain in these countries or if any pressure is being applied to get countries to agree to accept them.
In 2019, Trump sent migrants to Guatemala as part of an agreement to accept asylum-seekers. The ACLU sued the administration over this policy, which is still pending in federal court. Migrants who come from countries like Venezuela, Cuba, and China have posed a challenge for U.S. authorities, as they are released into the U.S. due to court orders barring indefinite detention. The new administration plans to work around this issue with a large-scale deportation operation, including pressuring Mexico to accept non-Mexican deportees. Trump also aims to expedite deportations by deporting migrants within a week of arrest.
The Trump transition team has already reached out to the countries on the deportation list to arrange deportation agreements, but some governments have not responded. A spokesperson for Panama stated that the Panamanian government does not respond to assumptions and rumors. The new administration’s goal is to stop the influx of illegal immigrants, secure the border, and deport dangerous individuals, according to a transition spokeswoman.
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