Representatives from the Trump administration have, in the last two weeks (can you believe it’s only been two weeks?), spent a fair amount of time visiting leaders in Central and South America and explaining to them what the new rules are. It’s paying off; even the recalcitrant dictator of Venezuela, El Presidente Maduro, is agreeing to take his people back.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, who is turning out to be a star, went on Fox Business to give us an update on what’s happening – and to tell us that the first flights of bad actors who were in the United States illegally are en route to Guantanamo Bay.
NEW: White House Press Secretary @karolineleavitt tells Fox: “The first flights from the U.S. to Guantanamo Bay with illegal migrants are underway.” pic.twitter.com/CE5kSE8bwj
— TV News Now (@TVNewsNow) February 4, 2025
Leavitt said in the segment:
(Presumably President Trump) is not messing around. He is no longer going to allow America to be a dumping ground for illegal criminals from nations all over this world. El Salvador has not just agreed to the repatriation of their own citizens, but also illegal criminals from other nations, who will then be sent to their prisons.
Venezuela, as well, has agreed to repatriation flights and Colombia has also agreed to cooperate with the repatriation of illegal Colombian nationals who we have found in the interior of our country. And I can also confirm that today, the first flights from the United States to Guantanamo Bay with illegal migrants is underway.
Latin America is getting their people back, and they are agreeing to it after, in some cases (Maduro) making a big show of saying they wouldn’t.
See Related: WINNING: Illegal Immigrant Takes Sweet Plea Deal and Walks – Only To Be Scooped Up by ICE
Phil Murphy Splutters After Tom Homan Goes FAFO on Story of Garage-Dwelling Illegal Immigrant
The El Salvador part is especially interesting; Ms. Leavitt informs us that the Salvadorans are taking not only their own people but “…illegal criminals from other nations, who will then be sent to their prisons.” Whatever El Salvador’s prisons are like, it’s virtually certain that internet access, expansive legal libraries, cable television, and conjugal visits aren’t on the agenda.
What comes next, then? So far the Trump administration has repatriated illegals in the tens of thousands. There are millions of people illegally in the United States, many of whom aren’t yet on the radar as they haven’t committed any crime after their illegal entry. There is a certain percentage of those people who are laying low for some specific purpose; people who, say, came here from places like Iran – or China. Those people, from nations known to harbor ill will towards the United States, should be next on the list for repatriation.
And, yes, repatriation is the correct word; deportation is technically correct, but it doesn’t tell the whole story. “Repatriation” is more specific, noting that these people are being sent back to where they belong, to the country where they hold citizenship. It’s good that Karoline Leavitt seems to get the distinction; hopefully, it’s administration policy to refer to it this way. We’re sending these people, bad actors, home, to let their own governments deal with him.
Stay tuned. It has only been two weeks. Things are only getting started.
