Honduras "Trump Deports U.S. Troops Out If Immigrants"

Ahead of Trump's inauguration as U.S. President-elect, who has vowed to expel a large number of illegal immigrants, Honduras rebelled for the first time, citing the expulsion of U.S. troops.

According to CNN and others on the 3rd local time, Honduran President Xiomara Castro said he would reconsider the U.S. military presence in the country if Trump implements a large-scale illegal immigrant deportation plan.

"If our brothers face a hostile attitude of large-scale deportation, we have no choice but to consider changes in our cooperation policy with the United States, especially in the military," Castro said.

"The U.S. military base, which has been maintained for decades without paying a penny, will lose a reason to exist in Honduras in such a situation," he warned.

Honduras' Foreign Minister Enrique Reina also said in an interview that the Honduran president could withdraw the agreement he signed with the United States without congressional approval.

The United States built Soto Cano Air Force Base in the 1980s under the approval of the Honduran government and operates the largest U.S. military task force in Central America.

Originally designed to curb the threat of communism in the region, it is now tasked with cracking down on drugs and humanitarian aid.

Castro's comments mark the first direct backlash among Latin American leaders since Trump vowed to repatriate millions of illegal immigrants to his home country.

According to the Pew Research Center, there are an estimated 500,000 Hondurans illegally staying in the U.S. as of 2022.

This is about 5% of Honduras' population, and the foreign currency they send home accounts for 25% of Honduras' economy.