Pacific nation ponders taking asylum seekers from US
Scattered about 800 kilometres (500 miles) east of the Philippines, tropical Palau has long been one of the United States' closest allies in the Pacific.
Palau President Surangel Whipps Jr last week received a request from Washington to accept "third-country nationals seeking asylum in the United States", his office said in a statement.
Whipps' office told AFP on Wednesday the proposal was still under consideration by the nation's powerful Council of Chiefs, an advisory body of traditional leaders.
"A meeting was held last week. So far no decision has come out of that meeting," a spokesman said.
US President Donald Trump campaigned on a promise to expel millions of undocumented migrants, saying the country had been "inundated" by unwanted arrivals.
He signed an executive order in January -- titled "Protecting the American People Against Invasion" -- that suspended admissions for countless refugees seeking haven in the United States.
Key details of the proposed deal between Palau and the United States were not immediately clear, such as how many asylum seekers it would cover, or what Palau may get in return.
"Based on the most recent draft agreement, Palau would have full discretion to decide whether or not to accept any individuals, and all actions would be consistent with our constitution and laws," the Palau president's office said in a statement.
US Ambassador Joel Ehrendreich was present at a meeting of senior officials to discuss the request, according to photos published last week by the Palau president's office.
The United States has reportedly considered dispatching asylum seekers to the likes of El Salvador, Libya and Rwanda.
With some 20,000 people spread across hundreds of volcanic isles and coral atolls, Palau is by population one of the smallest countries in the world.
- A tricky ask -
The Pacific microstate could find it difficult to deny Washington's request.
Palau gained independence in 1994 but allows the US military to use its territory under a longstanding "Compact of Free Association" agreement.
In return, the United States gives Palau hundreds of millions of dollars in budgetary support and assumes responsibility for its national defence.
The United States Embassy in Palau did not respond to an AFP request for comment.
Since coming to power in 2021, Whipps has overseen the expansion of US military interests in Palau.
This has included the ongoing construction of a long-range US radar outpost, a crucial early warning system as China ramps up military manuevers in the Taiwan Strait.
Palau is one of the few remaining countries to recognise Taiwan's claim to statehood.
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14 minutes ago
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Maryland House Majority Leader David Moon announced on X he is "introducing legislation to redraw Maryland congressional districts if any other state cheats & draws new maps outside of the census period." Democrats hold all but one of Maryland's eight districts and could target GOP Representative Andy Harris. Meanwhile, Democratic New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy is also not ruling out a redraw, but mid-decade redistricting is not legal in the state, so any effort to do so would require a change to that law. CNN reported that Democrats are also eyeing states like New York and Washington as states that could redraw their maps, but it's not clear Democrats in those states have the political appetite or legal ability to do so. There are also legal challenges against current boundaries in Georgia, South Carolina and Utah, where Democrats have raised gerrymandering arguments. In Georgia, critics have argued that the current map diluted the power of Black voters, and the case is being appealed. A similar argument was made in South Carolina over the state's 1st Congressional District which includes parts of Charleston and is represented by GOP Representative Nancy Mace. The state Supreme Court has heard arguments in this case. Democrats are also hoping for a positive outcome in Utah that would create a Democratic seat in Salt Lake City, as Republicans hold each of the state's four districts. What People Are Saying Democratic Representative Ro Khanna previously told Newsweek: "The governor, none of us, have that power. It's for the voters to decide, and the voters have an independent commission. What we need to do is make sure that we challenge what Texas is doing as unconstitutional. It's a violation of the Voting Rights Act. It's a violation of people having a fair vote, and it's gerrymandering districts." Democratic Michigan Senator Elissa Slotkin told Axios: "If they're going to go nuclear in Texas, I'm going to go nuclear in other places. I'm not going to fight with one arm tied behind my back. I don't want to do that, but if they're proposing to rig the game, we're going to get in that game and fight." President Donald Trump told reporters earlier in July: "No, no. just a very simple redrawing. We pick up five seats. But we have a couple of other states where we will pick up seats also." What Happens Next Democrats are considering the best way to respond to Texas' redistricting plan as pressure grows from lawmakers to find a counter. Exact details on how the Texas map may change remains unclear at this point.
