Team Trump Developing Plan That Will Enable Mass Deportations: Report

Under a developing plan from President-elect Donald Trump’s transition team, illegal immigrants facing deportation could potentially be sent to countries that are not their nations of origin.

Deportation efforts often encounter roadblocks when certain countries, like Venezuela, refuse to take back their citizens from the United States.

To address this challenge, Trump’s team is reportedly exploring options to locate nations willing to accept illegal immigrants who are not their own nationals, according to a report by NBC News, which cited anonymous sources.

“The plans could mean that thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, of migrants would be permanently displaced in countries where they do not know any of the people or the language and have no connection to the culture,” the report stated. It also remarked on the irony that many migrants entering the U.S. illegally similarly lack ties to American culture.

“It is not clear if the migrants would be allowed to legally remain to work and live in the countries to which they are deported. It is also not known what kind of pressure — either economic or diplomatic — the Trump transition is applying to countries to get them to agree, or might apply once President-elect Donald Trump is inaugurated in January,” the report continued.

Some nations around the Caribbean region, such as Turks and Caicos, the Bahamas, Panama, and Grenada, have been identified as possible destinations, according to the outlet.

The Guardian reported that the office of Bahamas Prime Minister Philip Davis confirmed discussions with Trump’s team but ultimately declined the proposal.

Mexico, another country mentioned as a potential recipient for deported individuals, has expressed resistance to accepting deportees who are not Mexican nationals, according to Reuters.

“We hope to reach an agreement with the Trump administration so that, in case these deportations happen, they send people from other countries directly to their countries of origin,” said President Claudia Sheinbaum. However, she refrained from explicitly stating that Mexico would refuse such deportations outright.

NBC also noted that Trump’s team might leverage tariffs on Mexican goods to compel compliance, highlighting that in 2019, some deported individuals were flown to Guatemala. However, this practice reportedly involved only a small number of people and ceased in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Further plans under consideration include a streamlined system enabling the deportation of illegal immigrants within a week of their arrest, according to NBC.

“President Trump was given a mandate by the American people to stop the invasion of illegal immigrants, secure the border, and deport dangerous criminals and terrorists that make our communities less safe. He will deliver,” stated Karoline Leavitt, the incoming press secretary, earlier this week.

Stephen Miller, a senior adviser to Trump, told Sean Hannity on Fox News in November, “The moment President Trump puts his hand on that Bible and takes the Oath of Office…he will sign an executive order sealing the border shut and begin the largest deportation in American history.”

Trump himself has emphasized his commitment to this agenda, saying he is prepared to allocate whatever resources are necessary.

“It’s not a question of a price tag. It’s not — really, we have no choice. When people have killed and murdered, when drug lords have destroyed countries, and now they’re going to go back to those countries because they’re not staying here. There is no price tag,” he remarked.

He also stressed that voters “want to have borders, and they like people coming in, but they have to come in with love for the country. They have to come in legally.”