Demonstrating the ramped up focus on deportations under the Trump administration, US Immigration and Customs Enforcement used a military plane for the first time ever in June to deliver 18 Marshallese deported from the US to Majuro. Photo: Office of National Security, Marshall Islands
The Trump administration's aggressive action on deportations has resulted in over 40 Marshallese being deported from the Northwest Arkansas area in 2025, a significant escalation compared to previous years, according to local residents.
Many of the Marshallese families that have seen the father-husband deported have been rendered homeless due to their primary salary earner being taken away and unable to afford rent bills.
"These deportations have had a devastating impact on families," a Marshallese advocate and long-term US resident Albious Latior, who manages the Ozark Atolls non-profit, said.
Since the 1990s, Marshallese residents have been "subject to deportations related to crimes committed in the US".
"Historically these deportations were related to more major crimes. like assault, robbery or driving under the influence," Charles Genuardi, an American who is the adoptive father of a Marshallese and is involved in advocacy for Marshallese, said.
"Due to the historic amount of funding and resources granted to immigration enforcement we are now seeing the deportations of Compact nation individuals for minor infractions such as traffic violations."
Northwest Arkansas has developed since the early 1990s to have the largest concentration of Marshallese in the United States, with estimates of over 15,000 in the area.
This is heavily related to several major meat packing companies located in Northwest Arkansas, notably Tyson Foods that employs thousands of Marshallese in its factories.
Marshallese living in Northwest Arkansas say that over 40 Marshallese have been deported from this area since the start of the Trump administration. Photo: Supplied
Overall, based on both Marshall Islands and US census data, over 50 percent of all Marshallese now reside in the US, having visa-free travel benefits due to the Compact of Free Association (COFA) that gives the US military control of the vast ocean area that its atolls cover as well as use of Kwajalein Atoll for a missile testing range.
Genuardi, who has been discussing the Northwest Arkansas deportation situation with experienced immigration attorneys, said he believes that some of the deportations of Marshallese are questionable.
"The lack of deportation hearings and representation of COFA residents have skewed in favor of deportation," he said.
"Removal of immigration judges has also contributed as this is the Trump administration's way of speeding up a backlog of hearings."
Latior talked about the social impact of the deportations in Northwest Arkansas.
After dozens of husbands were deported, "many of the wives have already started new relationships, which creates emotional strain for the children," he said.
"Two families have already left to reunite with the husbands - one moved to Ebeye and one to Majuro."
Latior said crimes of those deported range from misdemeanors to felony convictions. Some individuals had repeated offenses, while others had only one.
"It has been difficult to understand how ICE decided which cases to act on," Latior said, speaking of the US Homeland Security Immigration and Customs Enforcement. "During the early months, ICE officers went directly to people's homes, but now most deportations occur after individuals are picked up from the county jail."
Genuardi made the point about ICE ignorance of the Marshall Islands in its haste to deport people it considers to be criminal illegal aliens.
"Gideon Aron, the Marshallese man deported through Guantanamo, was almost sent to Africa," Genuardi said. "His case is a clear representation of the ignorance of ICE and the reckless reign of terror happening now."
Aron, after weeks stuck in Guantanamo and the intervention of the Marshall Islands Embassy in Washington, DC, was ultimately returned to the Marshall Islands recently.
This year has seen a number of unprecedented developments for deportation of Marshall Islanders. In June, armed ICE agents escorted a group of 18 shackeled deportees on a military aircraft, the first time for a military plan to deport Marshallese and the most ever in one day. ICE employed another military aircraft in August, delivering six Marshallese.
In years past, Marshallese being returned home were escorted by US Marshals on United Airlines, the only commercial carrier servicing the country from the US.
