International
Trump’s Migration Measures: Comprehensive Deportations and Colossal Holding Facilities
Former U.S. President Donald Trump (2017-2021), a favorite to be the Republican candidate in the November elections, has made it clear that if he returns to the White House, his immigration policy will go beyond the famous border wall that propelled him to the presidency in 2016.
In his campaign rallies, he has adopted strong anti-immigrant rhetoric, going as far as to claim that foreigners “poison” the blood of the U.S. and proposing plans ranging from mass deportations to the construction of giant centers to detain undocumented migrants.
Mass Deportations, Trump’s Promise
Trump has repeatedly promised at his campaign events that, if he returns to the presidency, he will carry out the “largest deportation operation” in U.S. history.
To do so, the federal government would seek help from reservists of the National Guard, detailed Stephen Miller, the chief ideologue of Trump’s xenophobic proposals, just three days ago during the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), the major gathering of the American right.
According to Miller, Trump would deploy the military to the border to deny entry to those who need to apply for asylum and would automatically deport those who attempt to cross into Mexico.
Trump has cited as an example of this type of deportation the so-called ‘Operation Wetback’, executed in 1954 by then-President Dwight D. Eisenhower (1953-1961), which resulted in the deportation of over a million people, mostly Mexicans.
According to historian Mae Ngai in her book ‘Impossible Subjects’, the deportations were brutal, with some Mexicans repatriated in what could easily have been an “18th-century slave ship,” while others died of sunstroke after being abandoned by U.S. authorities in the desert.
Giant Centers to Detain Migrants
To execute this apocalyptic operation, Trump’s campaign has hinted at its plans to build large centers to detain migrants and then expel them from the United States.
The idea would be to establish “large-scale” facilities where migrants would wait to be deported with scheduled expulsion flights continuously, explained Stephen Miller at the CPAC conference, who previously advised Trump during his presidency and could return to the White House.
However, the legality of these centers could be challenged in court, as happened with some of Trump’s more radical plans when he was in the White House.
Anticipating these legal challenges, Trump has promised to invoke a section of the immigration and sedition laws passed by Congress in 1789, which give the president greater power to deport and detain individuals who are not U.S. citizens in times of war.
This law was used during World War II by President Franklin D. Roosevelt (1933-1945) to establish internment camps where thousands of Japanese migrants and their U.S.-born descendants were detained.
Trump’s campaign has not specified how many migrants would be subject to these policies. However, it is estimated that there are currently 11 million undocumented immigrants living in the United States.
Family Separation
Trump has also not ruled out the possibility of separating migrant families again, a policy he implemented during his time in the White House.
During an appearance on CNN last year, Trump admitted that the idea of separating families “sounds tough,” but then added: “When you tell families that if they come we’re going to separate them, they don’t come. And we can’t afford to have more.”
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), responsible for migration, has acknowledged that 4,227 children were separated from their families during the Trump administration.
Following the inauguration of President Joe Biden in January 2021, a task force was created to address this issue, and according to a DHS report from November 2023, 3,147 children have already been reunited with their parents.
Biden’s reelection campaign has sounded the alarm about Trump’s policies and has described his immigration plans as “racist, anti-American, and ineffective.”
“It’s just cheap politics,” said Maca Casado, the director of Hispanic media for the campaign.
International
U.S. Senate Rejects Budget, Bringing Government Closer to Shutdown Amid DHS Dispute
The U.S. Senate voted on Thursday against a budget proposal in a move aimed at pressuring changes at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), following the killing of two civilians during a deployment of immigration agents in Minneapolis.
All Senate Democrats and seven Republican lawmakers voted against the bill, which requires 60 votes to advance, pushing the country closer to a partial government shutdown that would cut funding for several agencies, including the Pentagon and the Department of Health.
The rejection came as Senate leaders and the White House continue negotiations on a separate funding package for DHS that would allow reforms to the agency. Proposed measures include banning Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents from wearing face coverings and requiring them to use body-worn cameras during operations.
The vote took place just hours after President Donald Trump said he was “close” to reaching an agreement with Democrats and did not believe the federal government would face another shutdown, following last year’s record stoppage.
“I don’t think the Democrats want a shutdown either, so we’ll work in a bipartisan way to avoid it. Hopefully, there will be no government shutdown. We’re working on that right now,” Trump said during a Cabinet meeting at the White House.
International
Trump Says Putin Agreed to One-Week Halt in Attacks on Ukraine Amid Extreme Cold
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday that he secured a commitment from Russian President Vladimir Putinto halt attacks against Ukraine for one week, citing extreme weather conditions affecting the region.
“Because of the extreme cold (…) I personally asked Putin not to attack Kyiv or other cities and towns for a week. And he agreed. He was very pleasant,” Trump said during a Cabinet meeting broadcast by the White House.
Trump acknowledged that several advisers had questioned the decision to make the call.
“A lot of people told me not to waste the call because they wouldn’t agree. And he accepted. And we’re very happy they did, because they don’t need missiles hitting their towns and cities,” the president said.
According to Trump, Ukrainian authorities reacted with surprise to the announcement but welcomed the possibility of a temporary ceasefire.
“It’s extraordinarily cold, record cold (…) They say they’ve never experienced cold like this,” he added.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky later commented on the announcement, expressing hope that the agreement would be honored.
International
Storm Kristin Kills Five in Portugal, Leaves Nearly 500,000 Without Power
Storm Kristin, which battered Portugal with heavy rain and strong winds early Wednesday, has left at least five people dead, while nearly half a million residents remained without electricity as of Thursday, according to updated figures from authorities.
The revised death toll was confirmed to AFP by a spokesperson for the National Emergency and Civil Protection Authority (ANPEC). On Wednesday, the agency had reported four fatalities.
Meanwhile, E-Redes, the country’s electricity distribution network operator, said that around 450,000 customers were still without power, particularly in central Portugal.
Emergency services responded to approximately 1,500 incidents between midnight and 8:00 a.m. local time on Wednesday, as the storm caused widespread disruptions.
The Portuguese government described Kristin as an “extreme weather event” that inflicted significant damage across several regions of the country. At the height of the storm, as many as 850,000 households and institutions lost electricity during the early hours of Wednesday.
Several municipalities ordered the closure of schools, many of which remained shut on Thursday due to ongoing adverse conditions.
Ricardo Costa, regional deputy commander of the Leiria Fire Brigade, said residents continue to seek assistance as rainfall persists.
“Even though the rain is not extremely intense, it is causing extensive damage to homes,” he noted.
In Figueira da Foz, a coastal city in central Portugal, strong winds toppled a giant Ferris wheel, underscoring the severity of the storm.
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