with CHARLIE HARPER

US President Donald Trump has on several occasions said publicly that he thinks the big issue driving his reelection last year was not the economy, as so many analysts believe.

Trump has said the key to his victory was immigration.

He has certainly made that issue the keynote of his early days and weeks back in office. As he did in his first term, Trump is clearly anxious to demonstrate forcefully that he does all he can to keep his campaign promises.

Within the first half of the first week of his second term, Trump issued ten executive orders on immigration. Speaking at a private symposium, Georgetown University professor and immigration expert Dr Katherine Donato offered some context to the president’s actions.

“President Trump’s use of executive orders has attracted the most attention on his handling of the immigration issue,” Donato told her audience. “There are several things to keep in mind on this. First, Trump has indeed issued far more such immigration orders far earlier in his administration than other presidents.

“But it is also true that reform of our antiquated US visa system has been overdue for more than 30 years. Consequently, every president since George W Bush has resorted to executive immigration orders to execute policy in the absence of Congressional action to pass reform legislation. And the reason for that failure is almost entirely political.

“Trump’s threats to deploy active-duty US military at and near the southern border are naturally arousing fear and anger in immigrant communities across the US. Other presidents have deployed military units at the border, but heretofore, they have been in support roles such as assisting in border wall construction or other logistical assistance to other federal agencies.

“Trump has sent around 5,000 troops to the southern border already. But he seems to be considering ordering them to take leading roles in migrant apprehension and detention. This would be unprecedented, and would likely require legislation. In any case, many lawsuits will inevitably follow his actions.”

Donato also commented on Trump’s suspension of American refugee asylum dating back to 1980 legislation. Presidents, she said, can set annual ceilings. During Trump’s last year in office, for example, he set a limit of around 11,000 permitted refugees. Under president Joe Biden, the limits rose to around ten times that many. She also noted that deportations, as we know from our experiences with Haitians and Cubans inn The Bahamas, are expensive.

Legal challenges will follow Trump’s plan to overturn birthright citizenship, which is a right enshrined in the US constitution. And since 22 states have already sued to block Trump on this issue, no constitutional amendment is likely any time soon.

Meantime, Trump has ordered his administration to prepare to house tens of thousands of “criminal aliens” at the US Navy base at Guantánamo Bay in eastern Cuba.

“We have 30,000 beds in Guantánamo to detain the worst criminal illegal aliens threatening the American people,” he said. “Some of them are so bad we don’t even trust the countries to hold them, because we don’t want them coming back, so we’re going to send them out to Guantánamo, a tough place to get out of.”

In the 1990s, ‘Gitmo’ was overwhelmed by more than 45,000 refugees fleeing crises in both Haiti and Cuba. According to multiple news reports, they were housed in crude tent cities on the base, including on the current site of the Pentagon’s detention facility for detainees in the war against terrorism. Today, that facility houses only 15 prisoners and is staffed by 800 troops and civilians.

Thirty years ago, we in The Bahamas had a front row seat to that migrant crisis that led to those thousands of Haitians and Cubans winding up in Guantanamo. Dozens of overloaded, often leaky vessels washed up on Bahamian shores carrying desperate Haitians and fewer Cubans who were trying to reach the American coast in Florida.

Our defense force and the US Coast Guard were working overtime to intercept these migrants, and over many months thousands were apprehended. Pending repatriation to Haiti, many Haitians were often detained on Carmichael Road at a hurriedly constructed detention center.

Over the course of the past forty-plus years, we have seen aggressive US efforts to deter smuggling of people and drugs across its Mexican border persuade the criminal entrepreneurs who direct such endeavors turn to our waters as a viable alternative.

Such a deflection is of course a consequence of our geographical location. But as we look ahead, we might consider the possible consequences for us if the Americans succeed in securing their southern border.

Chiefs for three in a row - Or eagles to swoop in?

Have you been OK without football for the past 11 days? Millions of Americans have indulged in Super Bowl hype for what doubtless seems for them to be an interminable hiatus from their favorite spectator sport.

We have learned more than we could ever have imagined about the famous and obscure among the two-time defending champion Kansas City Chiefs and their worthy and repeat opponents the Philadelphia Eagles.

It seems like the biggest story lines of this Super Bowl concern the Chiefs. They are seeking to win a third straight championship, a feat so far unachieved in the “Super Bowl Era” that officially began in January 1967 – with a 25-point Kansas City loss to the Green Bay Packers coached by Vince Lombardi, the toughest of them all, for whom the championship trophy is named.

None of the great dynasties of this modern era of American pro football has managed a “three-peat”. Green Bay, Miami, Pittsburgh, San Francisco, Dallas, Washington and of course New England have all had sustained success, but to win three in a row has eluded every one of them.

The Chiefs stand on the brink of history. Having won the past two championships, including three-point victories over the Los Angeles Rams last year and the Eagles two years ago, Kansas City can make it three by beating Philadelphia again on Sunday afternoon in New Orleans.

The Chiefs have been criticised this year for winning by too-small margins. But as in the past two Super Bowls, they have been winning nonetheless. In these playoffs, they have already defeated the Bills and in doing so, they avenged their only real regular season defeat in Buffalo in November. Kansas City makes mistakes, but they often force more, and more costly, mistakes from their opponents.

The Eagles probably are the more talented team from top to bottom. And they have looked truly formidable in the playoffs, dispatching Green Bay, the Rams and Washington. They have looked stronger in each successive game. It’s not hard to get excited about this Philadelphia team, and many observers feel that with the off-season addition of star running back Saquon Barkley, the Eagles are set to win the title.

The Chiefs, though, act and play like a team, despite some hiccups. Their talented kicker made headlines last off-season with some bizarre social media posts. They have disposable parts at wide receiver and running back.

But Kansas City has the indominable Chris Jones to rush and harass the passer. And they have the record-setting pairing of tight end Travis Kelce and quarterback Patrick Mahomes. These two are legitimate stars, and their women partners are stars also. Mahomes’ wife is gaining notoriety in business and social media, and Kelce’s girlfriend is Taylor Swift.

Coach Andy Reid led the Eagles for 13 years and has been at the helm of the Chiefs for 12 more seasons. He’s a really good, Hall of Fame coach. The team has stayed together and played hard for him. Led by their big stars and the example they set for their less famous comrades, the Chiefs seem to be united in their pursuit of history.

Kansas City is favored by 1-1/2 points. It says here that they make history with a win and cover the point spread.

Including the last two rounds of the college football playoffs and the three rounds of the NFL playoffs so far, we’ve offered predictions on the winner of each of these 13 games and also a forecast on who would cover the point spread.

These notional bets have been successful exactly 75 percent of the time. Bettors will know that is well above average. Is that the lucky exception? Maybe we’ll see next year.