Honduras Threatens US Military Bases Over Trump’s Mass Deportations

Honduras has threatened to shut down rent-free United States military bases in the country if President-elect Donald Trump carries out his mass deportation policy. President Xiomara Castro said officials would consider “a change in our policies of cooperation with the United States, especially in the military arena,” in the face of “unnecessary reprisals against our migrants.” Newsweek has contacted the Trump transition team for comment via email outside of normal office hours. President-elect Donald Trump speaking on September 25, 2024, in Mint Hill, North Carolina. Honduran President Xiomara Castro warns she could consider ending military cooperation with the U.S. if Trump carries out mass deportations. President-elect Donald Trump speaking on September 25, 2024, in Mint Hill, North Carolina. Honduran President Xiomara Castro warns she could consider ending military cooperation with the U.S. if Trump carries out mass deportations. Brandon Bell/Getty Why It Matters This move marks one of the first signs of international pushback and diplomacy in response to Trump’s flagship immigration policy. What To Know Honduran President Xiomara Castro has cautioned that she could consider ending military cooperation with the United States if President-elect Trump follows through on his proposals for mass deportations, rejecting asylum claims, and separating families at the U.S.-Mexico border. Castro issued the warning in a New Year’s Day message, in which she emphasized the need for constructive dialogue with the incoming administration. She highlighted the fact that the U.S. does not pay rent for military bases in Honduras. The U.S. has managed the Palmerola military base (also known as Soto Cano Air Base) in Comayagua, central Honduras, since the 1980s. Mass deportation is a core component of the GOP’s platform, with Trump promising that millions of migrants in the country illegally would be removed from the country starting on “Day One” of his presidency to tackle crime. Trump has threatened to impose sweeping tariffs on Mexico and Canada if they don’t cooperate with his plans to curb migration figures and stem the flow of drugs entering the country. It is a possibility that he could slap tariffs on Hondurans if they don’t comply with his wishes. As president of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States, Castro announced that in January, she will co-host a meeting with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, bringing together foreign ministers to discuss migration issues. Honduran Deputy Foreign Minister Tony García said that around 250,000 Hondurans are slated for deportation from the U.S. in 2025 and that Honduras is not prepared to handle such a large influx of people. Approximately 2 million Hondurans are currently living and working in the U.S, according to statistics from the Honduran government. However, according to the Pew Research Center, as of 2022, approximately 525,000 unauthorized immigrants from Honduras were residing in the U.S. What People Are Saying President Xiomara Castro said in a statement on New Year’s Day: “Faced with a hostile attitude of mass expulsion of our brothers, we would have to consider a change in our policies of cooperation with the United States, especially in the military arena, where, without paying a cent for decades, they maintain military bases in our territory, which in this case would lose all reason to exist in Honduras.” “We hope that the new U.S. administration of democratically elected President Donald Trump will be open to dialogue, constructive and friendly, and will not take unnecessary reprisals against our migrants, who normally make a great contribution to the U.S. economy,” she added. What Happens Next Trump will return to the White House on January 20, and is expected to sign a series of executive orders to address illegal immigration and border security. The President-elect has repeatedly pledged to deploy the National Guard to enact his mass deportation policy and promised to shut down the CBP One app, end the catch-and-release policy, and reinstate the “Remain in Mexico” program as part of his hard-line immigration agenda. However, he is expected to be met by resistance as lawmakers and immigration advocates are preparing to launch a wave of legal action to halt his mass deportation plans.