68 nationals from St Kitts and Nevis at risk of deportation in US: ICE

The deportation threat looms large on nearly 68 undocumented St Kitts and Nevis nationals living in the United States, as they might be sent back home as part of President Donald Trump newly launched a crackdown against global individuals residing in the US as immigrants.  

According to the data, 68 individuals from St Kitts and Nevis are among the 1.445 million people with final orders of removal. 

The new report submitted by the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) reveals exactly how many people from each nation is likely to face deportation. As of November 24, 2024, more than 1.4 million non-citizens who does not hold any legal status in the US have been ordered to leave the country.  

With 2,52,044 individuals, Mexico has topped the list issued by the ICE followed by El Salvador with a total of 203,822 persons.  

According to the reports, ICE, which is in charge of protecting the borders of America from illegal immigration and crime has already begun to take action. Last week, they arrested a number of illegal migrants and also deported some out of the country on military planes, signalling the start of Trump’s mass deportation plans. 

It is said that among the 68 nationals from St Kitts and Nevis, deportation obstacles may include legal protections under international agreements including the Convention Against Torture, administrative delays and other situations, which might lead to their deportation getting delayed.  

Notably, this list forms part of the broader immigration strategy under the administration of President Donald Trump, who made a robust comeback as he won a second term in office in November 2024. On his first day as the 47th President of USA, Trump signed several orders to make immigration rules in the country more strict and this included putting a curb to automatic citizenship for babies born to illegal immigrants.  

St Kitts and Nevis nationals on the deportation list join other from the Caribbean region which includes 202 from Saint Lucia, 127 from St Vincent and the Grenadines, 110 from Antigua and Barbuda, more than 5,100 from Jamaica and over 1,200 from Guyana.  

Across the region, governments are closely monitoring the situation as deportations can have significant social and economic impacts for each nation.  

President Donald Trump has made it clear that he will be intensifying its efforts to remove undocumented immigrants and as part of his immigration policy, he vowed to prioritise the deportation of individuals with final removal orders. 

He has also revealed his plans to involve the US military in deportation efforts, noting that illegal immigration is a national security threat which needs decisive action.