Donald Trump has proposed a controversial plan to send repeat criminal offenders from the U.S. to prisons in foreign countries. Since returning to the White House on January 20, Trump has been very active, signing 26 executive orders and making big changes to policies.
These include declaring a “national emergency” over immigration, writing that there are “only two genders” into policy, stopping the TikTok ban, ending diversity programs, and pulling the U.S. out of the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Paris Climate Agreement. He also pardoned several controversial figures, including Ross Ulbricht, who was freed from prison after running the dark web site Silk Road.
Now, Trump has suggested that the U.S. could pay other countries a “small fee” to house American prisoners who are repeat offenders. During a meeting with House Republicans in Miami on January 27, Trump explained that this plan would save money by avoiding the high costs of U.S. prisons and private jails. He said, “If they’ve been arrested many, many times, I want them out of our country. We’re going to get approval, hopefully, to get them the hell out of our country, along with others – let them be brought to a foreign land and maintained by others for a very small fee.”
This idea is separate from Trump’s plans to deport illegal immigrants with criminal records. While the idea of sending criminals to other countries isn’t new—historically used by Britain, France, and the Soviet Union—it’s a surprising proposal for modern times. Trump believes this approach could reduce crime in the U.S. by keeping repeat offenders out of the country temporarily. He said, “Let them be brought out of our country and let them live there for a while. Let’s see how they like it.”
This proposal comes as Trump’s administration works to address the federal budget and increase deportations. Over the weekend, Trump also threatened Colombia with tariffs after its president blocked U.S. military planes carrying deported migrants. It’s unclear how this plan will move forward, but it has already sparked debate and criticism.
