Dominican Ambassador calls U.S. deportations routine and ongoing

Santo Domingo.- Dominican Ambassador to the U.S., Sonia Guzmán, stated that the deportation of irregular Dominican migrants under the Donald Trump administration is a routine process that has been ongoing for years. She emphasized that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) coordinates regularly with the Dominican Embassy, informing them of weekly deportations.

Guzmán explained that flights carrying over a hundred deportees have arrived in the Dominican Republic weekly for years, with occasional increases to three or four flights per week. She described the situation as standard, noting that all nations have the right to repatriate individuals who do not meet legal residency requirements.

The ambassador urged Dominicans in the U.S. to maintain legal immigration status and comply with local laws. She also highlighted that recent large-scale deportations, particularly from New York and other cities, have primarily affected migrants who entered via the southern border, not necessarily Dominicans. With increased migration flows, repatriations are also expected to rise under Trump’s new policies.