Recently, media and social networks reported that due to the policies of U.S. President Donald Trump, thousands of illegal migrants are set to be deported from the country. Among them are 369 citizens of Kazakhstan.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that the media reporting this refers to a news piece from Fox News that was published on December 11, 2024.
“Thus, this information has nothing to do with the new immigration policy of the United States. (…) We recommend conducting thorough verification before publishing such news,” the agency requested.
Deputy Foreign Minister Alibek Bakayev reminded attendees in the Senate that the foreign affairs agency had warned about the tightening of immigration policy in the U.S.
“Certainly, the embassy is in contact with all citizens. We initially warned our citizens that such a policy is being implemented, that the immigration policy is tightening, so the opportunity to leave was and remains. If a Kazakhstani citizen is illegally in the U.S. and leaves, it will not have any consequences; it is a personal decision,” he stated.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs added that the authorities of the country deporting a citizen are not obliged to inform the embassy or consulate if it concerns a person who has illegally entered the state.
Recently, media outlets reported that U.S. authorities plan to deport approximately 1.4 million illegal migrants. In addition to Kazakhs, the list also included citizens from other Central Asian countries: Uzbekistan (975 individuals), Tajikistan (149 individuals), and Kyrgyzstan (319 individuals). The list published by Fox News also included 337 “citizens of the USSR”—a country that has not existed since 1991.
“Kursiv” reported that upon becoming president, Trump reiterated his campaign promise to initiate the largest deportation in U.S. history, which would expel millions of immigrants from the country. However, media reports suggest that an “operation” of such magnitude would likely take years and be extremely costly.