Tiny ‘Survivor’ island in the Pacific Ocean with population of 18,000 to start taking Trump’s deportees

The small Pacific island nation of Palau has agreed to accept up to 75 illegal immigrants from the United States in a deal worth $7.5 million.

Donald Trump, who campaigned on the promise of deporting undocumented immigrants, has accelerated deportations and cracked down on border crossings since returning to power.

The country of Palau is about 500 miles from the Philippines and is part of an archipelago of small island nations. The island was also where filming took place for the reality show’s 10th season, Survivor: Palau.

Under a new memorandum of understanding, Palau will allow immigrants to live and work on the sparsely populated archipelago, officials said Wednesday.

The $7.5 million revenue from the USA will be used for public service and infrastructure projects in Palau.

With a population of approximately 18,000 people spread across hundreds of volcanic islands and atolls, Palau is one of the world’s smallest countries in terms of population.

Both sides said the immigrants from the United States have not been accused of any crimes and will help fill needed jobs in Palau.

‘Palau will have to decide on a case-by-case basis about the people who will come to Palau under the arrangement,’ the Pacific country said in a statement.

The agreement was announced after a meeting between Palau President Surangel Whipps and US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau.

Donald Trump, who campaigned on the promise of deporting undocumented immigrants, has accelerated deportations and cracked down on border crossings since returning to power.

The country of Palau is about 500 miles from the Philippines and is part of an archipelago of small island nations

“Through this partnership, the United States and Palau are taking concrete steps to strengthen our security and protect our communities while promoting a safer, more secure and more prosperous Indo-Pacific region,” the U.S. State Department said in a separate statement. he said.

During his meeting with Whipps, Landau said the United States was committed to building a new hospital and improving Palau’s capacity to respond to national disasters.

Washington will also provide another $6 million to support reforms to prevent the collapse of Palau’s civil service pension plan and provide another $2 million for law enforcement initiatives.

The Palauan archipelago of limestone islands and coral atolls is located about 500 miles east of the Philippines.

Since coming to power in 2020, Whipps has overseen the expansion of U.S. military interests, including the construction of a long-range U.S. radar outpost, a crucial early warning system as China steps up its military activities in the Taiwan Strait.

Palau gained independence in 1994 but allows the US military to use its territory under the long-standing ‘Treaty of Free Association’ agreement.

In return, the United States provides Palau with hundreds of millions of dollars in budget support and assumes responsibility for its national defense.

In early December, the Department of Homeland Security claimed it had deported 2.5 million people since Trump returned to office on January 20.

Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem becomes the face of Trump’s deportation campaign

Under a new memorandum of understanding, Palau will allow migrants to live and work on the sparsely populated archipelago, officials said Wednesday.

This includes 1.9 million illegal immigrants who chose to self-deport in exchange for a $1,000 bonus and a free flight home.

‘Illegal aliens are now hearing our message to leave. If they don’t do this, they know we will find them, we will arrest them, and they will never come back,’ Deputy Minister Tricia McLaughlin said.

In the final year of Joe Biden’s presidency, that number rose from 142,000 to just 271,000 in 2023.

Officials around the president noted that the Trump administration achieved its goals despite the obstacles from the courts.