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
Iranian leader warns foreign powers have “no place” in Strait of Hormuz
Iran’s Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, said Thursday that the Persian Gulf is entering a new era marked by a “bright” future without the presence of the United States in the region.
His remarks came during the commemoration of Persian Gulf Day, amid ongoing regional tensions following recent military confrontations involving Iran, the United States, and Israel.
“Today, two months after the largest military buildup and aggression by the bullies of the world in the region and the humiliating defeat of the United States, a new chapter is being written for the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz,” Khamenei stated.
The Iranian leader insisted that the future of the region would be free from American influence and focused instead on the internal development and prosperity of Gulf nations.
“By the power and strength of God, the bright future of the Persian Gulf region will be a future without the United States and dedicated to the progress, welfare, and prosperity of its nations,” he said.
Khamenei also questioned the effectiveness of U.S. military bases in the region, arguing that they do not provide security even for Washington’s allies.
“Foreigners who come from thousands of miles away and commit evil and malicious acts have no place there except at the bottom of its waters,” he declared.
In addition, the Iranian leader defended new measures being prepared by Tehran to regulate maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, including fees for vessels passing through the strategic waterway. According to Khamenei, the policies would generate economic benefits and greater stability for the region.
Regional tensions remain high following the conflict that erupted on February 28 between the United States and Israel against Iran, leading to strategic blockades in the Strait of Hormuz, a route through which nearly 20% of the world’s oil supply previously passed. The situation has disrupted maritime trade and contributed to rising global oil prices.
Central America
U.S. and Regional Allies Back Panama Amid Dispute With China
The United States, Bolivia, Costa Rica, Guyana, Paraguay and Trinidad and Tobago issued a joint statement in support of Panama’s sovereignty, arguing that China’s recent actions represent an attempt to politicize maritime trade and undermine the sovereignty of nations in the hemisphere.
“We are closely monitoring China’s selective economic pressure and recent actions affecting vessels flying the Panamanian flag,” the statement released Tuesday said. “Panama is a pillar of our maritime trading system and, as such, must remain free from undue external pressure.”
The statement comes amid growing tensions surrounding the Panama Canal and the operation of key ports linked to global trade.
At the end of January, Panama’s Supreme Court invalidated the legal framework supporting the 1997 concession that granted Panama Ports Company, a subsidiary of CK Hutchison, the right to operate the Balboa and Cristóbal terminals located on the Pacific and Atlantic entrances of the Panama Canal.
The ruling followed mounting pressure from the United States to curb Chinese influence around the strategic waterway, through which roughly 5% of global maritime trade passes.
CK Hutchison, which managed the ports for nearly three decades, rejected the court’s decision and accused Panamanian authorities of illegally confiscating its assets. The company has launched international arbitration proceedings against Panama, seeking more than $2 billion in damages.
Following the court ruling, reports emerged of increased detentions and inspections of Panamanian-flagged vessels in China, actions widely viewed as retaliatory measures.
On Wednesday, China’s Foreign Ministry dismissed the joint statement as “completely unfounded and misleading,” accusing the United States of politicizing port operations and warning that Beijing would take steps to protect its interests in Panama.
International
King Charles III Says U.S.-UK Alliance Is “Irreplaceable and Unbreakable”
King Charles III of the United Kingdom reaffirmed the strength of the British-American relationship on Tuesday during a speech before the United States Congress, describing the alliance between the two nations as “irreplaceable and unbreakable.”
The address, delivered at the Capitol, marked the first speech by a British monarch before Congress since Queen Elizabeth II in 1991 and comes at a time of political tensions between Donald Trump’s administration and the Labour government of Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
“As President Trump himself observed during his state visit to Britain last autumn, the bond of kinship and identity between the United States and the United Kingdom is invaluable and eternal. It is irreplaceable and unbreakable,” the king said.
While reflecting on the upcoming 250th anniversary of U.S. independence, which will be commemorated this year, Charles III stated that the partnership between the two countries “was born out of disagreement, but is no less strong because of it.”
The monarch emphasized the democratic values shared by both nations and noted that major global changes have occurred whenever the two allies found common ground.
“When we have found that way to agree, great changes have taken place not only for the benefit of our peoples, but for all peoples,” he said.
King Charles also quoted British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who recently described the relationship as “an indispensable alliance.”
Concluding his speech, the monarch described the shared history of the United States and the United Kingdom as “a story of reconciliation, renewal, and an extraordinary partnership.”
He added that Washington and London have forged “one of the most consequential alliances in human history.”
“I pray with all my heart that our alliance continues to defend our shared values, together with our partners in Europe, the Commonwealth, and around the world, and that we ignore calls urging us to become increasingly isolationist,” Charles III stated.
The king ended by urging both nations to “recommit to one another in selfless service to our peoples and to all peoples of the world.”
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