U.S. President Donald Trump’s foreign policy plans are officially underway.
A week after entering the White House for the second time, Trump has announced a crackdown on migration and foreign aid.
Multiple U.S. military aircraft have been used to deport migrants overseas, including to Colombia, which initially rejected their arrival. Trump responded by threatening sanctions against Colombia.
He has also floated a plan to relocate more than 1.5 million Palestinians from Gaza to neighbouring Arab countries.
Deportations
Trump issued dozens ofwithin hours of becoming President. These are presidential directives compelling federal agencies, such as defence and education, to act.
One order demanded officials reverse what Trump described as an “unprecedented flood of illegal immigration” over the past four years.
Following this, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) issued a statement saying it had begun cracking down on “potentially dangerous criminal aliens”. Under U.S. law, an ‘alien’ is anyone in the country who isn’t a citizen.
This weekend, Trump’sshared a photo showing a line of handcuffed men filing into a military aircraft. Leavitt captioned the image: “Deportation flights have begun.”
U.S. army aircraft are not normally used for migrant deportations, based on a legal principle called ‘posse comitatus’, which bars the military from enforcing domestic law in most circumstances.
According to Leavitt, four aircraft have arrived in Mexico, carrying dozens of people who had been deported from the U.S.
Colombia
Colombia denied entry to two military aircraft carrying people deported from the U.S.
In a post to social media, President Gustavo Petro said the U.S. could not “treat Colombian migrants as criminals” and ordered return flights.
Trump threatened a travel ban on Colombian government officials and 25% tariffs (taxes) on Colombian imports to the U.S.
Colombia has now backed down, with officials agreeing to new arrivals of American military planes.
Foreign aid
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Separately, news outlets including CNN and the BBC have reported a leaked memo shows the U.S. will pause new funding to all other countries except Egypt and Israel.
The memo was reportedly circulated to the State Department, which handles foreign affairs, by newly-appointed Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Last week, Trump signed an executive order calling for a 90-day pause on foreign aid.
State Department data shows American aid totalled $US41 billion ($AU65 billion) in the 12 months to October 2024.
The bulk is spent on overseas health and humanitarian assistance.
Rubio’s directive, sent to U.S. officials stationed at embassies and consulates around the world, said all foreign aid would now come under scrutiny.
The only exceptions were for emergency food aid and military funding for Israel and Egypt.
Gaza remarks
On Sunday (local time), U.S. journalists asked Trump about his plans for Gaza, as the ceasefire-hostage deal between Hamas and Israel progresses.
The deal specifies displaced Palestinians can return to northern Gaza.
Research cited by the UN earlier this month estimates 92% of housing units in Gaza have been destroyed or damaged during the Israel-Hamas war.
Trump described the state of Gaza as a “mess” and a “demolition site,” and said he wanted to “clean out that whole thing and say… ‘it’s over.’”
Trump told reporters that he wanted to see Jordan and Egypt help relocate more than 1.5 million people from the Gaza Strip.
He didn’t specify whether it would be a temporary or long-term relocation.
Jordan’s Foreign Minister has already rejected the proposal.
Trump said he plans to discuss the plan with Egypt’s President soon.
