Donald Trump ran in 2024 promising “Mass Deportations Now,” a rallying cry that his base responded to enthusiastically. Since his second inauguration, he has made immigration policy the centrepiece of his administration. As a result, the U.S. is acting outside the existing legal process to arbitrarily deport U.S. residents to places like Panama and El Salvador, where they face severe conditions and from which there may be no release. Reports of plans for similar deportations to Rwanda and Libya raise the question of what exactly is happening and where these detention policies might lead.
Based on the words coming out of Mr. Trump’s mouth and my research into the history of mass civilian detention around the world, what he and those who help shape his policies want is unlimited power. If they can establish rendition and arbitrary overseas detention for one group – for example, those who are declared to be Tren de Aragua or MS-13 gang members – history shows that they will likely expand the categories of people they can subject to the same treatment. The administration has already declared its interest in subjecting U.S. citizens to detention in El Salvador.
