(DCNF)—House Republicans are pushing legislation to help the Trump administration punish foreign governments that refuse to accept their deported citizens.
The Deportation Compliance Act calls for penalties against any recalcitrant country, which are countries that refuse to take back citizens kicked out of the United States. If passed and signed into law, the U.S. would withhold all foreign assistance to any government that either outright refuses to accept their deportees or takes longer than six months to do so, according to text of the legislation shared exclusively with the Daily Caller News Foundation by its sponsor, Texas GOP Rep. Chip Roy.
“Countries that refuse to accept their own citizens deported from America for breaking our laws must face serious consequences,” Roy stated to the DCNF. “Their actions undermine our sovereignty and security. ”
“To the extent any foreign aid should exist — we should absolutely cut off the flow of cash to those ‘recalcitrant’ countries that refuse to comply with our deportation orders,” Roy continued. “America will not, and must not, tolerate the disrespect of our laws by any foreign government.”
Recalcitrant nations have long frustrated federal officials attempting to carry out immigration law. Rather than remain in U.S. detention indefinitely, many migrants hailing from recalcitrant countries are released back into American communities due to limitations in detention capacity.
The U.S. government identified 13 recalcitrant governments in July 2020: Bhutan, Burundi, Cambodia, China, Cuba, Eritrea, Hong Kong, India, Iran, Iraq, Laos, Pakistan and Russia. However, some foreign governments have gone back-and-forth on compliance over the years, and it has not always been easy obtaining an up-to-date tally of uncooperative countries.
Roy and a group of House Republicans sent a letter to the Biden administration in July 2024 requesting an updated list of recalcitrant countries, but the Texas Republican says the administration never responded.
Management of the Biden-era border crisis was made more difficult when Venezuela, the second-highest source of illegal immigration into the U.S., stopped accepting deportation flights in February 2024. Nearly 8 million Venezuelans have fled the country under Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, a leftist authoritarian who has overseen rampant inflation, economic turmoil and political repression.
Upon being sworn into office for a second term, President Donald Trump immediately got to work on securing alternate destinations for deported migrants whose home governments may not be willing to take them back — a necessary endeavor in order to fulfill his goal of historic deportations.
The administration has since locked in deals with Mexico, Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala, Panama and Costa Rica to serve as destinations or layovers for illegal migrants deported out of the U.S. A section of the Guantanamo Bay naval base has also been repurposed for migrant detention, with Trump suggesting as many as 30,000 criminal migrants could be sent there – something the Clinton administration similarly did with Haitian nationals during the 1990s.
In a major win for the White House, deportation flights touched down in Venezuela in early February. They were the first repatriation flights in roughly a year.
Trump has also used the threat of tariffs to force uncooperative leaders back in line.
When Colombian President Gustavo Petro in January openly declared he would refuse to take back his deported citizens, Trump immediately announced sweeping 25% taxes on all Colombian goods imported into the U.S. and Secretary of State Marco Rubio authorized visa suspensions against Colombian nationals and travel bans against officials involved in the blocking of the deportation flights. Roughly an hour after those retaliatory measures were rolled out, Petro announced he had reached a deal to begin accepting his deportees again.
Supporters of the Deportation Compliance Act argue the bill would codify another tool for the federal government to rein in uncooperative countries.
“Congressman Roy’s legislation will hold countries accountable who refuse to take deported nationals, some of which have entered America illegally and committed crimes here,” Michael Hough, director of federal government relations for NumbersUSA, said to the DCNF.
“The Deportation Compliance Act is essential for effective immigration enforcement by ensuring that nations either repatriate deported illegal aliens or face significant consequences,” Chris Chmielenski, president of the Immigration Accountability Project (IAP), stated to the DCNF. “IAP applauds Rep. Chip Roy for introducing this legislation, which would give the Trump Administration another tool to assist with its mass deportation efforts.”
In addition to NumbersUSA and the IAP, the legislation is backed by the Center for Renewing America and the Federation for American Immigration Reform, and is co-sponsored by 13 Republican House members.
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Why the National Debt Is the Looming Threat to Your Retirement Plans
The Hidden Crisis No One Is Talking About
Every day, headlines warn about inflation, market volatility, and global instability—but the greatest looming threat to your retirement might be something far more fundamental: America’s skyrocketing national debt.
You can learn more about how the national debt affects you by reading this 3-minute report titled, “Debt Will Hit $40T in 2026: Prepare Your Retirement Now“.
With debt growing faster than most Americans can possibly fathom, the government’s borrowing habits have reached historic—and dangerous—levels. To cover spending, Washington is making moves with their budget packages, tariffs, and taxes. Is it enough? No. It’s not even close to what would be necessary to stop out-of-control debt, let alone reverse it.
How Debt Erodes Your Nest Egg
There are only so many levers government and the Federal Reserve can pull to try to protect Americans, assuming that’s even a top priority for them. Unfortunately, pulling one level to relive one pressure invariably adds pressure from another direction. This is why prices keep going up even as inflation reportedly slows.
For retirees and pre-retirees, that’s a perfect storm. The dollars you’ve worked hard to save lose value, and your cost of living increases while your investments lag behind.
If you’re relying solely on paper-based assets—stocks, bonds, or mutual funds—you’re essentially tied to the same system that’s creating the problem. It’s a system that was designed to work well in the 20th century, not in today’s world with people living longer and the dollar rapidly losing value.
This is why the 3-minute report, “Debt Will Hit $40T in 2026: Prepare Your Retirement Now,” is so important.
The Precious Metals Hedge
Thousands of Americans are looking for a tangible, time-tested hedge: physical gold and silver.
Unlike paper assets, precious metals aren’t dependent on government policy or the stock market’s mood swings. They’re real, finite resources that have maintained value for thousands of years through wars, recessions, and inflationary periods.
In fact, during times of high inflation and fiscal instability, gold often performs its best—because it’s seen as a store of value when faith in the dollar weakens. This is why prices have skyrocketed this year and are expected by many economists to continue going up in the future.
Take Control with a Gold IRA
One of the most effective ways to protect your retirement from national debt fallout is through a self-directed Gold IRA. This IRS-approved account lets you hold physical gold and silver within your retirement portfolio, giving you:
- Direct ownership of your assets
- A hedge against inflation and dollar decline
- The control to diversify beyond Wall Street
Augusta Precious Metals specializes in helping Americans just like you take this step with confidence. The company has earned a strong reputation for transparency, education, and personalized service—making it one of the most trusted names in the industry.
The Next Step: Secure Your Financial Future
Augusta Precious Metals has helped thousands of Americans with at least $50,000 to invest from their IRAs, 401(K)s, TSPs, and other retirement accounts safeguard their savings through precious metals.
If you’re concerned about what the rising national debt could mean for your future, now is the time to act.
Read this 3-minute report titled, “Debt Will Hit $40T in 2026: Prepare Your Retirement Now“ and learn the simple steps you can take to protect your retirement.
