By Christine Ravoi, PMN
From left, Fiji Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka, US President Donald Trump, and Tonga Prime Minister Dr 'Aisake Eke. Photo: PMN / Supplied
Pacific leaders fear that President Donald Trump's plans to expel hundreds of undocumented Pasifika migrants from the United States may lead to an increase in the number of deportees with criminal records arriving in the islands.
Trump has made it very clear that he aims to deport "millions and millions" of illegal migrants.
His administration has initiated a large-scale operation that has resulted in the arrest and deportation of many Pacific islanders.
Among the 1.4 million people at risk of deportation, over 561 are former citizens of Fiji, 151 are Tongans, and 57 are Sāmoans.
Trump's 'Noncitizens on the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement Non-Detained Docket with Final Orders of Removal by Country of Citizenship' also includes 166 New Zealanders, five deportees from Papua New Guinea, three from the Solomon Islands and Kiribati, two from French Polynesia and one each from Tuvalu and Vanuatu.
But the document does not specify the categories or the types of deportees involved.
The situation has alarmed leaders in Tonga, Fiji, Sāmoa, Papua New Guinea, and the Marshall Islands, all of which are already struggling to integrate a significant number of deportees, many of whom have been convicted of serious drug-related and violent crimes in the United States, Australia, and Aotearoa New Zealand.
Fiji's Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka, who visited Washington, DC, raised these concerns during a meeting with Ed Case (D-Hawaii), the chairman of the Congressional Pacific Islands Caucus.
Rabuka says the mass deportation of criminals from the US poses a safety risk to Pacific island states.
"Fiji respects the sovereign right of the US to enforce its immigration laws. We have begun discussions with relevant ministries and international law enforcement agencies regarding the deportation process for Fijians," Rabuka said.
He is the first Pacific leader to visit the US capital since Trump took office.
Rabuka highlighted the need for coordinated efforts to ensure that individuals involved in serious crimes do not pose a danger upon their return.
During a meeting with Diane Farrell, the US Acting Under Secretary of State for International Trade, Rabuka also pointed out the significant investments by US tech giants Google and Starlink in Fiji.
He said he hoped Trump's freeze on foreign aid would not negatively impact planned USAID programmes in the Pacific region concerning health, climate, and security.
The Fijian leader said he also hoped Trump would reconsider his decision to withdraw the US from the Paris Agreement, given that the Pacific Islands bore the brunt of the climate crisis.
Since Trump's inauguration on 20 January, the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations has arrested thousands of unauthorised immigrants across the country.
Deportation flights have already started with US military aircraft carrying migrants to their countries of origin or third nations.
Tonga's Prime Minister, Dr 'Aisake Eke, shared similar concerns about Trump's immigration policies.
He said an influx of deported migrants would only worsen Tonga's many challenges.
It has been estimated that about 30 criminals have been deported to Tonga each year since 2010.
In his first press conference since taking office more than two weeks ago, Eke addressed the potential impact of the US immigration crackdown on Tonga.
"We have enough problems," he told journalists. "I met with the secretary-general of the Pacific Islands Forum last week, and we discussed the implications of this new administration's policies and their potential effects on Pacific countries."
Eke also criticised the Trump administration's treatment of immigrants, emphasising that democratic values should prevent such harsh treatment.
Fiji and Tonga are experiencing a rise in drug-related crime, which local police have partly blamed on the influx of deportees.
The Pacific nations are among the islands already grappling with a persistent methamphetamine trade, and there is widespread concern that an increase in deportations will exacerbate this issue.
Many deportees face stigma and lack family support, making reintegration difficult. Experts warn this situation could lead many deportees back to criminal activities.
According to the Lowy Institute, at least 3500 Pacific nationals were deported from New Zealand, Australia, and the United States between 2004 and 2020.
Prominent Fijian lawyer Dorsami Naidu said Trump's threats have instilled fear within the Pacific community.
"We've had lots of people who have served prison sentences in America get sent back to Fiji, where they introduce different kinds of criminal activities that they are well-groomed in," Naidu said.
Henrietta McNeill, a research fellow at the Australian National University in Canberra, warned of potential damage to many traditional ways of life across the islands.
"My research shows that some deported Pacific islanders with criminal histories may turn 'back to what they know' in the absence of support, which at times means involvement in the drug trade if there are no other means of gainful employment," McNeill said.
Officials from the Marshall Islands, Palau and the Federated States of Micronesia, whose citizens have the right to live and work in the US under Compacts of Free Association or COFA, met with Department of State and Interior officers.
The Marshall Islands government last week advised its citizens living in the US not to open the door to immigration officials without a judicial warrant, amid fears the community is being caught in Trump's crackdown on undocumented migrants.
A joint statement from the officials said that Trump's executive order should not apply to citizens of the Freely Associated States, who live and work legally in the US under special provisions.
The officials also said funding to the three island states should not be paused under the US freeze on foreign aid.
-This article was first published by [ https://pmn.co.nz/read/pacific-region/pacific-leaders-push-back-against-donald-trump-s-immigration-crackdown]
