Per week into his second time period, United States President Donald Trump has intensified his crackdown on immigration, constructing on his marketing campaign promise of finishing up “the biggest deportation in American historical past”.
Since Trump’s inauguration on January 20, the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has arrested greater than 3,500 unauthorised immigrants throughout the US. The Trump administration has additionally began sending deportation flights — US army plane carrying migrants to their nations of origin or third nations.
There are 11 million unauthorised immigrants within the US, which has a inhabitants of 341 million, based on estimates by the Pew Analysis Heart.
Here’s a take a look at how a number of nations which were focused by Trump over migration are responding to his threats — by bending to his calls for, making an attempt to barter their very own offers, and in some circumstances by pushing again and suggesting that they may as a substitute search stronger ties with China.
Mexico
As of 2022, there have been greater than 4 million unauthorised immigrants from Mexico within the US, based on Pew estimates.
On his inauguration day, Trump signed an govt motion declaring a nationwide emergency on the US southern border that it shares with Mexico. The US army has begun to ship 1,500 active-duty troops to the southern border.
On his first day in workplace, Trump signed an govt order designating worldwide drug cartels as “terrorist organisations,” particularly mentioning Mexico. Trump additionally signed an govt order renaming the Gulf of Mexico the Gulf of America.
Mexico has agreed to take Mexicans deported by the US. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum’s administration has established a deportee help program known as “Mexico Embraces You” underneath which the deportees will obtain meals, medical care and assist acquiring Mexican paperwork.
Sheinbaum declared on January 22 that Mexico wouldn’t settle for non-Mexican immigrants deported by the US. However she issued an announcement Monday saying her nation had acquired an estimated 4,094 deportees, together with residents of different nations, although Mexicans represented a majority of them.
US information experiences have mentioned that Mexico refused a deportation flight final week, however the circumstances of how that unfolded are unclear.
El Salvador
Pew estimates say that as of 2022, there have been 750,000 unauthorised Salvadorian immigrants from within the US, the second-highest quantity after unauthorised Mexicans.
Trump is negotiating with El Salvador for the Central American nation to additionally soak up immigrants deported by the US who aren’t from El Salvador. It will enable them to hunt asylum in El Salvador.
Trump was engaged on this settlement throughout his first time period, nevertheless it was by no means executed and was not pursued by Joe Biden’s administration.
The settlement, if it comes into impact, would additionally cowl undocumented migrants from nations like Venezuela, which don’t settle for deportees from the US in the mean time. There have been 275,000 unauthorised Venezuelan immigrants within the US as of 2022, based on the Pew estimates.
Colombia
As of 2022, there have been 190,000 unauthorised immigrants from Colombia within the US, based on Pew estimates.
Colombia and the US over the weekend had a short standoff over the problem of deportation flights. It began when Colombian President Petro refused to permit two US army plane full of deported Colombian residents to land in his nation.
Petro mentioned Trump was not treating the immigrants with respect, sharing a video on X displaying deportees from the US in an airport in Brazil, with their palms and toes restrained.
The spat shortly escalated, with Trump threatening tariffs on Colombian items and visa restrictions on Colombian officers. Petro countered by saying he would impose tariffs on US items.
Colombian Overseas Minister Luis Gilberto Murillo introduced late Sunday that officers had “overcome the deadlock” and would settle for the deportees despatched by the US and had Colombia’s presidential airplane standing by to assist get the Colombians residence.
The White Home mentioned Colombia agreed to “unrestricted acceptance of all unlawful aliens from Colombia returned from america, together with on US army plane, with out limitation or delay”.
The primary of the 2 planes carrying Colombian deportees landed within the capital, Bogota, early on Tuesday, based on native media experiences.
China
As of 2022, there have been 375,000 unauthorised immigrants from China within the US, based on Pew estimates. That determine additionally consists of migrants from Hong Kong and Taiwan.
China on Monday mentioned it will solely settle for deportees who’re from mainland China.
“Relating to the repatriation, China’s precept is to confirm first after which repatriate. We are going to settle for Chinese language residents who’re verified to be from the Chinese language mainland,” Ministry of Overseas Affairs spokeswoman Mao Ning advised reporters in Beijing on Monday.
Mainland China doesn’t embrace Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan. China claims Taiwan, a self-governing territory, as a province. Mao didn’t clarify why Beijing plans to solely take again migrants from the mainland.
India
As of 2022, there have been 725,000 unauthorised immigrants from India within the US, based on Pew estimates, the third-highest quantity after Mexico and El Salvador.
Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke on Monday on the telephone and mentioned points together with immigration, Trump mentioned throughout his handle to Home Republicans in Florida on the identical day.
Trump didn’t present particulars however mentioned India “will do what’s proper” on unlawful immigration, including that Modi would go to the US in February.
India’s Ministry of Exterior Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal mentioned throughout a weekly media briefing on January 24: “We’re towards unlawful immigration, particularly as a result of it’s linked to a number of types of organised crime.”
Jaiswal mentioned that “if they’re Indian nationals, and they’re overstaying or they’re in a specific nation with out correct documentation, we are going to take them again, offered paperwork are shared with us in order that we will confirm their nationality that they’re certainly Indians.”
Guatemala
Pew estimates say that as of 2022, there have been 675,000 unauthorised immigrants from Guatemala within the US.
A US army plane carrying 64 immigrants flew from Texas and landed in Guatemala on Monday afternoon, American and Guatemalan officers advised Reuters on situation of anonymity.
It was the third US army flight that Guatemala has acquired with immigrants on board since final Friday.
In late December 2024, Reuters reported that Guatemala is open to receiving deportees from Guatemala and different Central American nations. Nevertheless, Guatemalan immigrants could be given precedence for re-integration, a Guatemalan official advised Reuters on situation of anonymity.
Honduras
Pew estimates say that as of 2022, there are 525,000 unauthorised immigrants from Honduras within the US.
However in contrast to most different nations — massive or small — Honduras has to date pushed again on Trump’s deliberate deportations.
President Xiomara Castro mentioned on January 1: “Confronted with a hostile perspective of mass expulsion of our brothers, we must take into account a change in our insurance policies of cooperation with america, particularly within the army enviornment,” threatening to close down a US army base within the nation.
Amid strain from the US, Honduran Overseas Minister Enrique Reina mentioned in an interview with native media on January 22 that the Central American nation may search elevated help from nations together with China — whereas acknowledging the help his nation has historically acquired from the US.
Honduras switched diplomatic allegiance from Taiwan to China in March 2023, lower than two years in the past. Honduras and Taiwan maintained diplomatic relations for many years earlier than this change. Beijing’s “One China Coverage” requires all nations to decide on between China and Taiwan as a diplomatic companion.
From fiscal years 2020 to 2023, the US Division of State and america Company for Worldwide Improvement (USAID) offered Honduras with $785m in help. The US is Honduras’s greatest help supplier, based on worldwide NGO International Witness. Trump has now suspended overseas help to all nations aside from Israel and Egypt.
Brazil
As of 2022, there have been 230,000 unauthorised immigrants from Brazil within the US, based on Pew estimates.
On Friday, a flight carrying 88 Brazilian deportees from the US was speculated to land within the metropolis of Belo Horizonte in Minas Gerais state. It made an surprising cease in Manaus, the capital of Amazonas state, the place Brazilian authorities eliminated handcuffs from the deportees.
President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva designated a Brazilian Air Power airplane to take the deportees to Belo Horizonte. This was the second deportation flight to Brazil utilizing a US army airplane since Trump took workplace, based on Brazilian federal police.
On Saturday, a day later, Brazil’s Ministry of Overseas Affairs wrote a put up on X demanding a proof from the US on the “degrading remedy” of Brazilians on the flight.
Philippines
As of 2022, there have been 130,000 unauthorised immigrants from the Philippines within the US, based on Pew estimates.
Officers with the Pilipino embassy in Washington, DC on Monday mentioned that they’d not but acquired any experiences of Filipinos being arrested or detained since Trump took workplace this month.
The Filipino ambassador to the US, Jose Manuel Romualdez, has repeatedly requested unauthorised Filipino immigrants within the US to depart the nation and never look forward to deportation, Philippines media reported.
