Donald Trump's transition team explores agreements with vacation destinations to accept deportees whose home countries refuse their return.
According to Daily Mail, the president-elect's administration has initiated talks with Turks and Caicos, Panama, Grenada, and the Bahamas to accept deportation flights from the United States as part of his aggressive immigration strategy.
The move comes as Trump pledges to execute the largest deportation effort in U.S. history during his second term. His team aims to expedite removals by deporting migrants within a week of their arrest, targeting an estimated 11 to 20 million undocumented immigrants currently residing in the United States.
The incoming administration faces significant challenges, with countries like Venezuela, Cuba, and China refusing to accept their deported citizens.
Federal court orders prevent U.S. authorities from indefinitely detaining these migrants, resulting in their release into American communities despite deportation orders.
Trump's team sees these Caribbean partnerships as a crucial workaround to the deportation roadblock. The strategy involves securing agreements with these island nations to permanently house migrants whose home countries reject their return.
Karoline Leavitt, Trump's incoming White House Press Secretary, emphasized the administration's commitment to the plan, stating:
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.
The president-elect's strategy extends beyond Caribbean nations, with plans to expand Mexico's role in managing deportees. While Mexico currently accepts migrants turned away at the border, Trump seeks to broaden this arrangement to include non-Mexican deportees.
The administration may leverage tariff threats to pressure Mexico into accepting these additional deportation flights. This expansion would significantly increase the capacity for removing undocumented immigrants from U.S. territory.
Recent data from the Department of Government Efficiency reveals that American taxpayers spent $150.7 billion on illegal immigrants in 2023 alone. This financial burden has intensified calls for stricter immigration enforcement and expedited deportation processes.
Trump's ambitious deportation strategy hinges on successful negotiations with potential partner nations and Mexico's cooperation. The transition team has already initiated diplomatic outreach to the four Caribbean countries, though their positions on accepting U.S. deportees remain unclear.
The plan represents a significant shift in U.S. immigration enforcement policy. If successful, it would establish new pathways for deporting individuals who currently remain in the United States due to their home countries' refusal to accept them.
These developments mark the latest chapter in Trump's border security agenda, which dominated his 2024 campaign platform. The administration's focus on third-party deportation agreements signals a determined effort to overcome existing obstacles in immigration enforcement.
