Trump Administration Faces Scrutiny Over Cuba Tariffs, Palau Migrant Deal, and Alleged Separatist Treason
The Trump administration faced scrutiny on multiple fronts Thursday, including threats of tariffs on countries selling oil to Cuba, a controversial deal to resettle migrants in Palau, and allegations of treason against Canadian separatists.
President Donald Trump signed an executive order laying the groundwork for potential tariffs on goods from countries that provide oil to Cuba, according to the White House. The order declares a national emergency and establishes a process for the US secretaries of state and commerce to assess tariffs against countries, escalating pressure on the Cuban government, which the White House cites as having ties to hostile powers.
Meanwhile, in the Pacific, a controversial deal between the Trump administration and Palau to resettle migrants from the US faced an uncertain future. The Palau senate voted to block the deal amid growing unease over the agreement, according to The Guardian. The plan aimed to relocate third-country nationals from the US to the small Pacific nation.
In Canada, allegations of treason surfaced against separatist activists in Alberta. According to British Columbia Premier David Eby, covert meetings between these activists and members of the Trump administration constituted treason. "To go to a foreign country and to ask for assistance in breaking up Canada, there's an old-fashioned word for that – and that word is treason," Eby told reporters. The meetings revealed increasingly emboldened efforts by the separatist groups.
These developments occurred as UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer took a step towards rapprochement with China, opening the door to a UK visit from Xi Jinping after bilateral talks in Beijing. During the first visit by a UK prime minister to China in eight years, Starmer said the trip had put the relationship in a stronger place.
On the immigration front, Congressman Joaquin Castro met with five-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos and his father at the Dilley detention center in Texas. Castro shared a photograph of Liam resting in his father's arms on social media, stating that he told Liam how much his family, his school, and the country loves him and is praying for him. Liam became a symbol of the wide reach of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations after he was detained on his way home from preschool last week.
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