A look at immigration and Latin American policy under a 2nd Trump term

As we welcome 2025, we look at what immigration and Latin American policy may look like under a second Donald Trump term.

On immigration, the president-elect has promised mass deportations will start on day one of his administration.

As for Latin American policy – whether it’s Cuba, Nicaragua or Venezuela – they’ll now get priority with Sen. Marco Rubio likely taking over as secretary of state.

But experts say to watch closely because mass deportation plans may temporarily overshadow and affect Latin American policy.

Immigration

The Trump administration has made it clear that mass deportations will happen.

"We need to appreciate that the president with respect to foreign affairs and national security has great discretion under what is known as Article 2 of the Constitution, the powers of the presidency," said Ediberto Roman, a law professor at Florida International University.

He and other immigration experts told NBC6 they’ll be closely watching how mass deportations are handled.

"How is he going to do that? He’s never given any details," Roman said.

Roman predicts immigration, civil and human rights attorneys will certainly be busy as he expects a flurry of lawsuits to try and stop deportations.

“There are going to be roundups, right, where undocumented individuals are going to be arrested and deported, which he has the rights to do under his power," he said.

He worries about human rights abuses and the targeting of Latino communities, including right here in South Florida.

Even fears people who are not undocumented may be mistakenly detained.

"Individuals are going to target people who they believe are immigrants," Roman said, "And who looks like an immigrant and who looks like an American. It’s going to be a dark time in our country’s history.”

Laura Munoz with Florida Student Power, an organization that advocates for immigrant youth, said they're getting ready for a fight.

"Whether that be building networks of lawyers and community members that can be there and support as things begin to unfold," Munoz said.

"The Trump administration will try and terrorize the population," said immigration attorney Ira Kurzban.

Kurzban has received national recognition for his work and has argued before the Supreme Court.

"Trump’s claim of deporting a million people, 5 million or 10 million people, is ludicrous and will never happen," he said.

He said the American economy simply couldn’t handle millions of workers disappearing.

Latin American policy

Because we’re in South Florida, we also wanted to focus on the possible changes you may see when it comes to U.S. policy towards Latin America.

Trump has tapped Rubio to be his secretary of state, someone who knows the region well.

"And it’s not just because he’s Cuban, but because he has largely concerned himself with Latin American issues," said Eduardo Gamarra, a politics professor at FIU.

Rubio doesn’t hide his disdain toward leftist, communist governments in Latin America, places like Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela. But because immigration is a top priority in the incoming Trump administration, Gamarra says Mexico may initially become the focus.

“Mexico brings forward three major issues that tie into our global interest," Gamarra said.

That’s migration, trade and perhaps the most important issue: China.

“There is a significant concern on both sides of the aisle, by the way, about stopping China from taking advantage of the free trade agreement to essentially penetrate the U.S. market, not just the fentanyl issue," he said.

Gamarra says because of mass deportation plans, the Trump administration may be willing to work with countries like Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela and cut deals so migrants can be sent back.

“However you look at it, Marco Rubio will bring a Latin American focus and I think the approach will be different than what we’ve seen so far," Gamarra said.

On immigration, the Cuban government has already said Trump’s deportation plan is unrealistic. And the prime minister in the Bahamas – a country mentioned as a possible destination for migrants who are deported – is already saying they don’t have the resources to take people.