REACTION TO TRUMP’S DEPORTATION PLAN
Some countries are preparing for an influx of deportees from the US, for example Mexico and Guatemala. But there has been resistance. The deputy foreign minister of Honduras (pop. 10.6 million) says that the country cannot absorb hundreds of thousands of deportees. What leverage does Honduras have? It has intimated that it will move closer to China; Honduras has already cut relations with Taiwan. It can oust the US from a Honduran air base that the US has been using. It can end an extradition treaty with the US.
Meanwhile, Colombia (pop. 52 million) briefly refused US military planes deporting migrants and Trump threatened to impose a 25% tariff on Colombian products, to be raised to 50% after a week, and also threatened financial sanctions and travel bans. Colombia quickly fell into line and accepted the flights.
Resistance by receiving countries to US deportation plans will be difficult.
Source: The New York Times,1/ 26