Guyana will take deportees by Trump administration

Last Updated on Thursday, 23 January 2025, 21:18 by Writer

Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo on Thursday said Guyana would take deportees from the United States (US) if they are caught in a crackdown against illegal migrants, as the Donald Trump administration makes good on its electoral promise.

“If they’re Guyanese then we don’t have a choice but to take them back. What are we going to do, refuse to take our people back?” he said.

Mr Jagdeo said accepting the Guyanese would be no different from Guyana taking Venezuelan migrants and Guyanese, who were residing in Venezuela, and have been fleeing the degraded political and economic conditions there. “We believe that if our country can absorb people, who come from Venezuela, most are Guyanese and a few non-Guyanese and if we can absorb them here and they’re working here, they’re living here decently, then why shouldn’t we do that for our own people,” he said.

Back in the 1990s, Guyana had refused to take its deported nationals from the US, causing that country to suspend the American visas of all government employees.

During that wave of deportations of mainly convicted criminals, a non-Guyanese had been sent back resulting in a diplomatic standoff between Georgetown and Washington DC.

US law enforcement agents have been targeting businesses that usually employ illegal aliens and where they are located, arresting them for processing and deportation to their homeland.

Meanwhile, the BBC reported that US President Donald Trump told US government agencies to prepare to “immediately repel, repatriate, and remove” undocumented immigrants as part of a wider effort to fight what he’s termed an “invasion” across the southern border.

Trump’s order comes as US officials announce the deployment of additional active duty troops to the border, and as processes that allow swift deportations are expanded.

The US also moved to cancel all refugee travel and processing, leaving thousands stranded as they wait to come to the US.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump is “sending a very strong message” to people around the world with the actions.