Trump team maps out Latin America strategy as part of mass deportation plan

Washington
CNN
 — 

President-elect Donald Trump’s team is gaming out an aggressive strategy toward Latin America that will be a crucial element to plans to deport migrants at large scale, according to two sources involved in transition policy discussions.

During his first term, Trump took a hardline – and at times, scatter shot – approach toward the region, which was largely the source of migration to the United States, including levying consequences, like sanctions, and threatening and imposing tariffs.

In his second term, the region will continue to play a central role in plans to stem the flow of migration and return people who are undocumented in the US. Deportation often hinges on diplomacy – and has been a steep challenge for the US when dealing with countries where there are frosty relations.

This time around, sources involved and close to the transition said they’re better prepared as they seek ways to engage in a forceful manner and leverage allies, while also floating the possibility of stiff consequences for countries who don’t comply. Taken together, it’s a return to a hardline approach meant to get countries receiving deportees to comply and attempt to curb migration.

“Every tool is in our arsenal. There’s an ever-stream of creativity,” one of the sources said.

The strategy amounts to relying heavily on Mexico, as the US has traditionally done, to control migration to their northern border, bringing back agreements that barred migrants from seeking asylum in the US if they passed through certain countries, and working closely with Panama to stop the flow of migrants through the Darien Gap.

It’s a plan that requires buy-in from regional partners. But sources close to and involved in discussions argue they’ve identified the incentives and pressure points to have countries cooperate.

“Everything is on the table,” the source said, referring to ensuring countries take back their nationals. “Once the president re-establishes credibility and consequences, it’s not something taken lightly.”

In recent years, the Western Hemisphere faced record migration fueled by deteriorating conditions that only worsened during the coronavirus pandemic. That resulted in surges at the US-Mexico border that strained already-overwhelmed federal resources.

The changing demographics arriving at the border has also complicated deportations. For example, poor economic conditions, food shortages and limited access to health care have pushed more than 7.7 million people to flee Venezuela, marking the largest displacement in the Western Hemisphere – and many chose to go north.

Venezuela briefly accepted deportation flights but…