The Bahamas says it has rejected a proposal from the transition crew of United States President-elect Donald Trump to soak up migrants from different nations who could also be deported by the incoming administration.
In a statement on Thursday, the workplace of Bahamian Prime Minister Philip Davis mentioned the scheme to have the Bahamas settle for deportation flights “was reviewed and firmly rejected”.
“The Bahamas merely doesn’t have the sources to accommodate such a request,” Davis’s workplace mentioned.
“Because the Prime Minister’s rejection of this proposal, there was no additional engagement or discussions with the Trump transition crew or some other entity concerning this matter. The Authorities of The Bahamas stays dedicated in its place.”
Trump, who gained final month’s US presidential election and can take workplace on January 20, has promised to carry out the “largest deportation operation” within the nation’s historical past.
The Workplace of the Prime Minister needs to deal with latest experiences concerning a proposal from the Trump transition crew in the US for The Bahamas to just accept deportation flights of migrants from different nations. This matter was offered to the Authorities of The Bahamas…
— Latrae L. Rahming (DOC)🇧🇸 (@latraelrahming) December 5, 2024
The proposed effort has spurred condemnation from rights advocates and raised questions concerning the feasibility of eradicating tens of millions of undocumented immigrants from the nation.
The Division of Homeland Safety estimates 11 million “unauthorised” individuals lived within the US as of 2022. The Bahamas census for a similar yr exhibits the nation has less than 400,000 people whole.
Trump’s deportation plans may even seemingly take a look at the bounds of his energy as president, as any “mass deportation” would contain authorized challenges and cooperation with overseas governments.
Citing three unnamed sources, NBC Information reported earlier on Thursday that Trump’s crew was getting ready a listing of nations that it may ship migrants to ought to their dwelling nations not conform to take them again.
The record included the Bahamas, Turks and Caicos Islands, Panama and Grenada, the sources instructed the US information outlet.
In 2019, throughout Trump’s first time period as president, the US signed a deal with Guatemala forcing asylum seekers who transited by the Central American nation on their approach to the US-Mexico border to first apply for defense there.
The so-called “protected third nation” settlement allowed the Trump administration to deport people from third nations, similar to Honduras and El Salvador, to Guatemala.
It stays unclear whether or not any nations will agree to soak up deported, third-country migrants and asylum seekers when Trump takes workplace once more in January.
Final month, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Southern California sued US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to acquire information revealing how the company’s deportation flights could possibly be expanded to hold out a mass deportation programme.
“Little is thought about how President-elect Trump would perform its mass deportation agenda, however what we do know is that this proposal has already instilled concern amongst immigrant communities,” Eva Bitran, director of immigrants’ rights on the ACLU chapter, mentioned in a press release.
“The general public has a proper to understand how its taxpayer {dollars} could possibly be used to fund deportation flights that might tear aside not solely households, but in addition our communities.”
In the meantime, Trump continues to advertise his hardline immigration insurance policies, threatening final month to impose 25-percent tariffs on Mexico and Canada “till such time as Medicine, particularly Fentanyl, and all unlawful Aliens cease this Invasion of our Nation!”
Canada has since promised to bolster border security whereas Mexico — which has already been finishing up a crackdown on migrants and asylum seekers making an attempt to succeed in the US — made the most important fentanyl seizure in its historical past this week.
Throughout a information convention on Thursday, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum mentioned she hoped to succeed in a take care of the Trump administration in order that Mexico wouldn’t have to soak up third-country deportees.
“We hope to succeed in an settlement with the Trump administration in order that, in case these [massive] deportations occur, they ship individuals from different nations on to their nations of origin,” she mentioned.
Mexico, she added, was “in solidarity with everybody, however our essential goal is to obtain Mexicans”.
