Belize Prepares for Possible Influx of Wanted Deportees as Trump Moves Forward with Mass Expulsions

US President Donald Trump is moving expeditiously in signing executive orders that will see global ramifications on migration, climate change and economics.  For Belize, his plans for mass deportations could possibly affect our prisons as they relate to wanted men and women who escaped into the United States.  Police Commissioner Chester Williams took it in humor earlier this month, but tonight it seems the top cop has begun reviewing the protocols on dealing with wanted deportees.

Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police: “Obviously we have heard the news from the new president of the United States that they’ll be rounding up people and they’ll be sending them back home. So we are expecting that yes, certain people will be brought back home. And as I’ve said before, there are some of these people who are wanted by the police for crimes they have been accused of committing and we’re waiting for them. Once they land at the airport, we’ll be there to receive them and they go through the process. Once we get a deportee coming in we get a notice that the deportee will be coming in on certain flights. And that information comes to me, I send that information to GI3. GI3 then goes to the airport and meet that person when they get off the flight. That person is then taken into an office, interviewed by immigration. From there, they’re brought to Belize City the GI3 office where they go through the process as a deportee, they’ll be issued a letter instructing them that they are to report to the police station in the area where they reside, either once or twice a week for a certain period of time. If it is that they are to change their address while they are reporting they have an obligation to ensure that they report to the police that they have changed their address. If as a part of that deportee process as well, they are not supposed to hang out with any person who are of criminal background. So there are several things that comes with being a deportee while reporting and we ensure that those issues as stipulated by law that they are followed to the T. So once a deportee, for example, changes his address without notifying GI3 that deportee can be charged criminally and taken before the court.”