Bahamas rejects Trump’s proposal to take in deported third-country migrants | Immigration News
The Bahamas says it has rejected the proposal of the transition team of the President of the United States Donald Trump to take in immigrants from other countries who may be deported by the incoming administration.
In a statement on Thursday, the office of Bahamian Prime Minister Philip Davis said that the plan for the Bahamas to accept the deported aircraft “has been reviewed and strongly rejected”.
“The Bahamas does not have the resources to accept such a request,” Davis’ office said.
“Since the Prime Minister rejected this proposal, there has been no discussion or negotiation with Trump’s transition team or any other party regarding this matter. The government of the Bahamas remains committed to its position. “
Trump, who won last month’s US presidential election and will take office on January 20, has promised to run “the biggest campaign in the history of the country.
The Prime Minister’s Office wishes to address recent reports about a proposal from Trump’s transition team in the United States for the Bahamas to host deportation flights. This matter was presented to the Government of the Bahamas…
— Latrae L. Rahming (DOC)🇧🇸 (@latraelrahming) December 5, 2024
The proposed effort has prompted criticism from rights advocates and raised questions about the feasibility of removing millions of undocumented immigrants from the country.
The Department of Homeland Security estimates 11 million “unauthorized” people living in the US by 2022. The Bahamas census in the same year shows that the country has a total population of less than 400,000.
Trump’s deportation plans will also be tested the limits of his power as president, as any “mass deportation” would involve legal challenges and cooperation with foreign governments.
Citing three unnamed sources, NBC News reported earlier Thursday that Trump’s team was preparing a list of countries to which it could send migrants if their home countries do not agree to send them back.
The list includes the Bahamas, Turks and Caicos Islands, Panama and Grenada, sources told the US newspaper.
In 2019, during Trump’s first term as president, the US signed an agreement with Guatemala to force asylum seekers passing through the Central American country on their way to the US-Mexico border to first apply for protection there.
The so-called “safe third country” agreement allowed the Trump administration to deport people from third countries, such as Honduras and El Salvador, to Guatemala.
It remains unclear whether any countries will agree to take in deportees, third-country migrants and asylum seekers when Trump takes office again in January.
Last month, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Southern California sued the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to obtain records showing how the agency’s deportation flights could be expanded to carry out a mass deportation program.
“Little is known about how President-elect Trump will carry out his mass deportation agenda, but what we do know is that the proposal has struck fear into immigrant communities,” said Eva Bitran, director of immigrant rights at the ACLU chapter. in the statement.
“The public has a right to know how their taxpayer dollars are being used to fund deportation flights that will not only tear apart families, but our communities.”
Meanwhile, Trump continues to promote his immigration policies, threatening last month to impose 25 percent tariffs on Mexico and Canada “until such time as drugs, especially Fentanyl, and all illegal aliens stop this Invasion of our Country!”
Canada has since pledged to beef up border security while Mexico – already cracking down on immigrants and asylum seekers trying to reach the US – made the largest fentanyl seizure in its history this week.
During a press conference on Thursday, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said she hopes to reach an agreement with the Trump administration so that Mexico does not have to take in third country deportees.
“We hope to reach an agreement with the Trump administration so that, if this happens [massive] Deportation happens, they send people from other countries directly to their countries of origin,” he said.
He added that Mexico was “united with everyone, but our main goal is to welcome the Mexican people”.
