BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – GOVERNMENT officials in Grenada and the Bahamas have strongly refuted an NBC News report claiming that U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has shortlisted several Caribbean territories to accept deportees once he assumes office.
Trump, who was elected in November, campaigned heavily on mass deportation of individuals who entered the U.S. illegally. He has vowed to initiate these efforts immediately after taking office. However, some countries of origin for these individuals are reportedly refusing to accept them.
In this context, NBC reported that the Trump administration is compiling a list of potential countries for deportation arrangements, including Turks and Caicos, the Bahamas, Panama, and Grenada. The report suggests that these plans would form part of a rapid, one-week arrest and deportation process.
The Government of Grenada has categorically denied any involvement in such discussions. In an official statement, the Office of the Prime Minister declared:
“The Office of the Prime Minister advises that the Government of Grenada has not engaged in any discussion regarding the deportation of migrants to Grenada. Furthermore, no proposal has been presented regarding this matter”
Similarly, the Bahamian government has dismissed the reported plans. Prime Minister Phillip Davis confirmed that while the proposal was presented to his administration, it was firmly rejected.
“This matter was presented to the Government of The Bahamas but was reviewed and firmly rejected by the Prime Minister,” a statement from the Bahamian government read.
The Bahamas cited resource constraints as the primary reason for declining the proposal, stating that the country “does not have the resources to accommodate such a request.” The government also emphasized that since rejecting the proposal, “there has been no further engagement or discussions with the Trump transition team.”
