The President has come up with an idea to exile American criminals overseas if they are ‘repeat offenders’.

Donald Trump has been extremely busy since he took over the White House on last week on January 20.

The 78-year-old immediately announced his plan for the ‘golden Age of America’, which started by undoing most of the work of his predecessor, Joe Biden.

Within days, Trump signed 26 executive orders, declared a ‘national emergency’ at the border over immigration, wrote that there are ‘only two genders‘ into policy, halted the TikTok ban, scrapped diversity programs, withdrew from the World Health Organization (WHO), as well as the Paris Climate Agreement, and went on to pardon some controversial figures including Ross Ulbricht, who walked free from prison after being convicted in 2015 for his operations in the dark web market site, Silk Road.

The president has been very busy since he returned to the White House last week (JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty Images)

And that’s just a few of Trump’s policies in the past week.

Clearly showing no signs of slowing down on his dramatic overhaul, the president has now suggested the US could pay foreign countries a ‘small fee’ to host American convicts.

During a House Republicans conference in Miami yesterday (January 27), the POTUS said the country could exile and ship out repeat criminal offenders, pitching it as a cost-saving measure.

Trump explained, as per NBC News: “If they’ve been arrested many, many times, they’re repeat offenders by many numbers, 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.”

Repeat offenders in the US could be sent to prisons overseas (Getty Images)

He claimed doing so would mean the federal government could avoid using US prisons for ‘massive amounts of money’ and private jails which ‘charge us a fortune’.

The president said the idea is separate from a similar scheme to deport illegal immigrants who are said to have criminal records.

But penal transportation isn’t new, with banishment being used as a form of punishment throughout history, from around the 5th century BCE in Ancient Greece before being accelerated by the British Empire in the 18th century.

England transported tens of thousands of convicts and political prisoners to the American colonies up until the 1776 American Revolution – though that didn’t stop Britain from exiling their criminals all the way to Australia until 1868.

France also used the practice in the 19th to early-to-mid 20th centuries, sending their convicts to Guiana and New Caledonia, and the Soviet Union took a far more drastic approach with mass deportations instead, which ramped up during the Second World War.

Human rights protesters called on the Biden administration to release Guantanamo Bay prisoners in December before Trump took office (Celal Gunes/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Penal colonies still exist in Russia and the Philippines – and the US has the Guantanamo Bay detention camp in Cuba, established by then president George W Bush to hold suspects of terrorism.

It remains unclear what gave Trump the vision to exile prisoners abroad, but he did state apparent concern that violent offenders are released back onto the streets, despite having ‘been arrested 30 times’ or more.

He also said he believed temporary exile to foreign prisons would make a dent in crime in general in the US, saying: “Let them be brought out of our country and let them live there for a while. Let’s see how they like it.”

Trump’s take on a new type of penal colony comes as his administration attempts to tackle the federal budget – and has already hiked deportation efforts to this end.

Over the weekend, he also threatened Colombia with costly tariff sanctions after its president blocked US military planes carrying deported migrants.

President Donald Trump has signed a slew of executive orders since reclaiming control of the country, and a fleet of those take aim at the millions of illegal immigrants living in the US.

The Republican put pen to paper on an order that will see those living in the nation without the proper papers will be deported, with the process having already began.

President Donald Trump has taken aim at those living in the US illegally (Jim Lo Scalzo/EPA/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Who is the US’ ‘border czar’?

Firstly, let’s clear up what it means – a czar is person appointed by government to advise on and coordinate policy in a particular area.

Former US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) director Tom Homan was anointed the ‘border czar’ for the Trump administration, soon after the 47th president discovered he’d be moving back into the White House.

Now, speaking to ABC News, the 63-year-old confirmed that following Trump’s signature on a string of executive orders to do with foreigners settling down in the country, any resident who is in the US illegally is ‘on the table’ for deportation.

Homan explained how the military have been deployed to help out at the Mexican border, and how Trump is ‘sending a strong signal to the world, our border’s closed’.

Border czar Tom Homan spoke about deporting illegal immigrants in lengthy ABC interview (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Tom Homan on deporting illegal immigrants

Co-anchor of This Week, Martha Raddatz replied: “So, is this what we will see every single day, ending in what the president has promised is millions and millions being deported?”

Homan responded: “Yes. But you’re going to see the numbers steadily increase, the number of arrests nationwide as we open up the aperture. Right now, it’s concentrating on public safety threats, national security threats. That’s a smaller population.

“So, we’re going to do this on priority base, that’s President Trump‘s promise. But as that aperture opens, there’ll be more arrests nationwide.”

He continued: “If you’re in the country illegally, you’re on the table, because it’s not OK to, you know, violate the laws of this country. You got to remember, every time you enter this country illegally, you violated a crime under Title Eight, the United States Code 1325, it’s a crime.

“So, if you’re in a country illegally, you got a problem. And that’s why I’m hoping those who are in the country illegally, who have not been ordered removed by the federal judge, should leave.”

Trump has signed a slew of executive orders since taking control of the Oval Office (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

Executive order: ‘Protecting American people against invasion’

The order accuses Biden’s administration of letting ‘millions of illegal aliens’ cross the borders.

“Many of these aliens unlawfully within the United States present significant threats to national security and public safety, committing vile and heinous acts against innocent Americans. Others are engaged in hostile activities, including espionage, economic espionage, and preparations for terror-related activities.” it says.

“Many have abused the generosity of the American people, and their presence in the United States has cost taxpayers billions of dollars at the Federal, State, and local levels.

“Enforcing our Nation’s immigration laws is critically important to the national security and public safety of the United States. The American people deserve a Federal Government that puts their interests first and a Government that understands its sacred obligation to prioritize the safety, security, and financial and economic well-being of Americans.”

Donald Trump has had a busy week since he took over the White House last week.

President Trump was sworn into office for the second time on Monday (January 20) as the 47th president of the United States and it’s fair to say, he’s had a busy week.

The 78-year-old kicked off his plans for the ‘golden Age of America’ by reversing most of the work of his predecessor Joe Biden.

From 26 executive orders to presidential pardons, here’s everything Trump has done so far.

Trump has had a busy week (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

Immigration

At the top of the bill is Trump’s promise to crack down on immigration, having declared a national emergency at the southern border and sent more than a thousand troops to the US-Mexico border.

Trump also ordered the construction of the border wall while suggesting the Gulf of Mexico should be renamed to the Gulf of America, which got some laughs from Hillary Clinton during his inauguration ceremony.

Beyond that, he’s asked Homeland Security to halt all refugee and asylum seekers admissions, as well as remove illegal migrants (with the term ‘illegal alien’ now reinstated).

He also tried to put an end to birthright US citizenship for the children of non-US citizens which was blocked by a federal judge in Seattle, calling it ‘blatantly unconstitutional’, reports the BBC.

Trump further threatened to prosecute officials and strip funding from sanctuary states that refuse to cooperate with deportation orders.

Gender

Trump has wasted no time in clamping down on transgender rights, too.

His order defines sex as either ‘male’ or ‘female’, which he claims are ‘not changeable and are grounded in fundamental and incontrovertible reality’.

This means transgender people won’t be able to change their legal documents to reflect their gender, for instance on passports.

The State Department has already ordered all applications from people to change their gender on passports, or to replace it with an ‘x’ marker, to be suspended.

TikTok

The President pretty much immediately suspended the proposed TikTok ban with hopes to strike a deal with the company.

The social media giant has been granted a 75-day extension to find an American buyer.

TikTok was restored almost immediately (Jacek Boczarski/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Diversity

Another controversial move out of the White House this week has been the scrapping government diversity, equality and inclusion (DEI) programs which were designed to protect workers from discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or national origin.

He revoked the Executive Order 11246, established in 1965, and ordered employees working on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives in the Department of Labor to be put on paid leave while their work was shut down.

Advocates for DEI initiatives have long argued it presents a level playing field for underrepresented minorities such as LGBTQ+ people, but Trump’s order slammed the programs as ‘illegal discrimination and preferences’ and said they would be scrapped to ‘restore merit-based opportunity’.

He’s also slammed the brakes on working from home practices for federal workers and has frozen almost all federal agencies from hiring, apart from military, immigration enforcement, national security and public safety jobs.

Presidential appointees fired – and the WHO

Trump has promised on Truth Social to fire more than 1,000 presidential appointees from the previous administration.

The president said those in the firing line are ‘not aligned with our vision to Make America Great Again’, including retired Army general Mark Milley, who was fired from the National Infrastructure Advisory Council.

Trump also withdrew the US from the World Health Organization (WHO), claiming it ‘mishandled’ the pandemic.

Presidential pardons

Hundreds of people were pardoned by the president last week, including the almost 1,600 people charged in connection with the January 6 riot at the Capitol, 23 anti-abortion protesters and two Washington DC Police officers, Andrew Zabavsky and Terence Sutton, convicted for the death of a Black man during a police car chase in 2020.

However, the biggest name to receive a pardon is Ross Ulbricht, a 40-year-old tech pro from Texas who created and operated the darkweb market website, Silk Road, from 2011 up until his arrest in 2013 and conviction two years later.

Ulbricht walked free from jail after spending 11 years behind bars.

Declassified files

Trump declassified files about the assassinations of John F. Kennedy and Dr Martin Luther King Jr and further files about Robert Kennedy.

Capital punishment

Trump outlined a commitment to seek the death penalty for federal crimes that involve the murder of law enforcement or in cases where an illegal migrant commits a capital crime.

Anti-abortion

Trump has made several anti-abortion moves already, such as restoring the Mexico City Rule, which bans federal funding to any overseas nongovernmental organization that performs abortions.

While he praised the annual ‘March for Life’ rally, he made a statement ‘strongly’ supporting the Born-Alive Survivors Protection Act and shut down the Biden administration’s pro-abortion government website.

He also restored the Hyde Amendment, which stops taxpayers from paying for abortions.

He said only American flags will be used in US embassies (DOMINIC GWINN/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images)

Flags

Trump is also taking a stand against flags, having issued guidance that US embassies should fly only the American flag.

The notice comes after activist flags like Black Lives Matter and the LGBTQ+ Pride flag flew over government buildings during Biden’s term.

Climate change and energy

The President declared a national energy emergency and ordered the US to withdraw from the Paris Climate Agreement, which saw almost 200 countries sign the legally binding treaty on climate change in 2015.

While most countries are trying to move away from oil and gas as sources of energy with climate change in mind, Trump has signed orders aiming to promote the the two things in Alaska.

“We will drill, baby,” Trump said in his inaugural address on Monday.

“We have something that no other manufacturing nation will ever have – the largest amount of oil and gas of any country on Earth, and we are going to use it. We’re going to use it.”

If that’s not enough, he also tore up the electric vehicle mandate and announced plans to get rid of regulations on household items like lightbulbs, water heaters and washing machines.

Economy and foreign relationships

One executive order looks to deliver emergency cost relief to Americans in the housing and healthcare sectors with a view to cut back on climate policies and create more jobs.

In line with his ‘America First’ trade policy, which looks at collective revenue related to foreign trade, Trump also ordered to pause assistance to foreign countries for 90 days.

Trump spoke to several foreign leaders, including one such ‘fiery’ call with the Danish prime minister on national security concerns, and others like the El Salvadoran President about illegal immigration.

He also called on Putin to ‘stop this ridiculous war’ in Ukraine – or Russia would face sanctions.

Trump also said Canada could joint the US as a state.

Donald Trump has wasted no time in making some drastic changes to the way America will be run following his inauguration.

President Trump returned to office for a second time on Monday (January 20) and took back the White House from Joe Biden — whom the businessman lost to in 2020.

While Trump declined to attend Biden’s inauguration and host him at the White House ahead of the ceremony, Biden welcomed his successor with open arms, declaring ‘Welcome Home!’ when he and Melania Trump arrived in Washington DC earlier this week.

But fast forward to November 2024 and Trump was once more voted to be president, with Republicans across the US working hard to get him there.

It’s been a mere few days since he took his seat in the oval office once more, but President Trump’s already signed numerous orders that will make drastic changes to the US.

Here’s some of the other things he’s done since becoming president.

Donald Trump is planning on sending more military personnel to the US-Mexico border (CHARLY TRIBALLEAU/AFP via Getty Images)

Immigration

Trump has clamped down on immigration once more, regarding the US-Mexico border in particular.

It was announced yesterday (January 22) that The Pentagon is deploying as many as 1,500 active duty troops to help secure the US-Mexico border in the coming days, officials said (via Associated Press).

The active duty forces would join the roughly 2,500 US National Guard and Reserve forces already there.

He’s further insulted Mexicans by suggesting that the Gulf of Mexico should be renamed the Gulf of America.

Away from the US-Mexico border, Trump has ordered the suspension of refugee admissions into the US and all refugee travel was canceled just a day after he became president.

Donald Trump returned to office on January 20, 2050 (CHIP SOMODEVILLA/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

Employment

Trump also wasted no time in sharing his intentions of scrapping the country’s diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) schemes.

All DEI workers were put on paid leave from 5pm EST yesterday (January 22), ahead of their offices being shut down.

While many have felt that the DEI scheme has helped the LGBTQ+ community in particular, Trump’s new order will remove aims to stop companies hiring candidates on the basis of race and sex.

Elsewhere, the new president has ordered for federal workers to return to the office full time and for agencies to stop giving remote working options to employees.

Trump has also frozen almost all federal agencies from hiring, apart from military, immigration enforcement, national security and public safety jobs, Reuters reported.

Environment and climate change

Trump has ordered for the US to withdraw from the Paris Climate Agreement; a legally binding international treaty on climate change.

The agreement came into force in 2016 and was agreed to by nearly 200 countries, the US included.

This marks the second time Trump has ordered for America to withdraw from the agreement in 2020, but Biden reversed his predecessor’s decision when he became president in 2021.

While most countries are trying to move away from oil and gas as sources of energy with climate change in mind, Trump has signed orders aiming to promote the the two things in Alaska.

Trump wants to withdraw from the Paris Climate Agreement (Sean Gallup/Getty Images)

“We will drill, baby,” Trump said in his inaugural address on Monday.

“We have something that no other manufacturing nation will ever have – the largest amount of oil and gas of any country on Earth, and we are going to use it. We’re going to use it.”

Oval office changes

Of course, Trump has made himself at home since returning to the White House and has already made some tweaks to the Oval Office.

He’s already reinstated his infamous Coca-Cola button, and – obviously — swapped out any Biden portraits from his time in office.

Meanwhile Trump’s added his own personal photographs, as well as swapping out Biden’s darker rug for a neutral-colored one.