By KEILE CAMPBELL

Tribune Staff Reporter

kcampbell@tribunemedia.net

FOUR hundred and twenty-six Bahamian citizens were under final orders of removal as of November 2024, according to a US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) report.

The Bahamians, who were not detained up to that point, are part of a broader list of over 1.4 million people from various countries facing deportation.

The Trump administration has intensified immigration enforcement, increasing daily arrests and expanding deportation efforts. This includes the use of military planes for removal flights and threats of diplomatic repercussions for countries refusing to accept deportees.

In December 2024, The Bahamas rejected a proposal from the Trump administration to accept third-country migrants deported from the US, emphasizing that the country would only accept its own citizens.

Foreign Affairs Minister Fred Mitchell noted yesterday that the deportation process involving Bahamian citizens is not new for The Bahamas.

“We accept any Bahamian citizen removed from any country back to The Bahamas,” he said. “We have a long experience with this. While some people are in a panic because of this flurry of recent publicity and activity, thus far, it seems routine and within the law as far as The Bahamas is concerned. We have no reason to think that any of our international partners would violate international norms on repatriation. We will deal with any request in the usual manner.”

The implementation of deportation orders can be delayed due to factors such as logistical challenges, verification of citizenship, and the issuance of travel documents.