May, 2025 - Channel 5 Belize

Trump Administration Deports 21 Belizeans on First-Ever U.S. Charter Flight

Tonight, twenty-one Belizeans are back on home soil after arriving on a historic charter flight from the United States. While deportations are nothing new, this marks the first time a large group has been returned on a single, specially arranged flight, a clear reflection of the Trump administration’s tough stance on immigration. For many of these individuals, the journey to the U.S. was a bid for a better life, a story that hits close to home for countless Belizean families. A few had served time for criminal offenses, but most were simply caught in the tightening grip of U.S. immigration policy. News Five’s Paul Lopez was at the Phillip Goldson International Airport and takes a closer look at what this moment means for those returning, and for the country they’ve come back to.

Paul Lopez, Reporting

This morning, the largest group of Belizeans ever deported from the U.S. arrived at the Philip Goldson International Airport on a special charter flight, the first of its kind. Among them was a young man who had spent three years in the U.S. after entering illegally and seeking asylum. His application was denied, and he was detained by ICE in Michigan just three weeks ago. According to U.S. Embassy spokesperson Luke Martin, his story reflects the harsh reality many deportees now face under stricter immigration enforcement.

Luke Martin, Public Affairs Officer, U.S. Embassy

“As you know this flight came, charter flight from the United States to Belize. Normally these individuals comes by commercial air so this is the first time we have had a charter plane with deportees coming to Belize. As far as the numbers go we have about twenty. It is a whole issue of due process. It is not like they were scooped up on the street and put in a plane, everybody has a right to due process, went to court, had their hearing, appeals, so this happened by legal means.”

The chartered aircraft didn’t just stop here, it continued to Chile and Peru to deport more individuals. This multi-country deportation flight is part of the Trump administration’s ongoing crackdown on illegal immigration, a policy that’s been in place since January 2020. While twenty-one deportees may seem like a lot for Belize, it’s a small number compared to countries like Guatemala, which sees tens of thousands of its citizens deported from the U.S. each year.

Paul Lopez

“This is not a case where an operation under the Trump administration led to the detention of these individuals?”

Luke Martin

“That is a great question, so no this is not knocking down doors and entering people’s houses. These are all people that entered the United States illegally, the majority of them had crossed into the United States illegally, the rest of them had overstayed their visas as well and the majority of them did have some kind of criminal offense in the United States as well.”

Paul Lopez

“Is their an active pursuit of Belizeans at this time?”

Luke Martin

“I think what you mean by that, breaking down doors and scooping people up, no that is not something we are seeing. Everybody on this flight was illegally in the United States and many of them had charges ranging from burglary to attempted, so there were some serious offenders from both government’s perspective as well.”

Today, the Government of Belize issued a statement confirming that the twenty-one Belizeans deported from the U.S. will be treated just like any other citizen returning home through repatriation. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs emphasized that all Belizeans, regardless of their immigration status, deserve to be treated with dignity and respect, in line with international law.

Luke Martin

“In a lot of way this is a new message for Belize. I think other Central American countries have heard this before throughout the years that illegal immigration is something that is not tolerated. This has always been the law. The difference here is that it is a different optic with a charter plane coming in. Everybody notices, it is big news, but still illegal immigration is not something that will be tolerated. There is a zero-tolerance policy but still there is due process, legal appeals, people have the right to do that for different reasons.”

Reporter

“Will we be seeing more of these types of flight?”

Luke Martin

“I think my guess, and I am just taking a guess on this, yes. If the administration is moving towards charter flights, it is more cost effective to have a number of people rather than just one off, two off American or United flights coming here.”

The Government of Belize has made it clear: no matter the circumstances, all Belizeans abroad are welcome home. Reporting for News Five, I am Paul Lopez.

Could Belize Be the Next Stop for U.S. Deportees?

The Trump administration is facing serious backlash from U.S. judges for ignoring a court order related to deportations. At the center of the controversy are so-called “third countries”—nations that agree to take in non-citizens deported from the United States. Countries like El Salvador and South Sudan have already been named in this arrangement. But now, there’s growing speculation: Could Belize be next? According to reports, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has been in talks with the Government of Belize about the possibility. While nothing has been confirmed, the idea has sparked concern and curiosity. Today, we reached out to the Public Relations Officer at the U.S. Embassy in Belize to get some clarity on the situation. When asked about the chances of Belize becoming a third country for U.S. deportations, here’s what he had to say…

Luke Martin, Public Relations Officer, U.S. Embassy

“I believe the administration has talked to multiple countries about taking in third country nationals. I know they have had that conversation; the Secretary of State has had that conversation as well. Belize is very open for taking Belizean citizens and that is where it stands at presence.”

Big Changes for Teachers & Public Workers; Is GOB Giving in to Pressure?

The Briceño administration is rolling out a new set of reforms aimed at improving the lives of thousands of teachers and public officers across Belize. After a Cabinet meeting on May twentieth, the government announced several key decisions following fresh negotiations with the Joint Union Negotiating Team. One of the biggest changes is a new Collective Bargaining Agreement framework, which is expected to be in place by June eighteenth. Unions will have sixty days to respond with any counter proposals. As part of its Plan Belize 2.0 agenda, the government is also sticking to its promise to raise the minimum wage to six dollars, pending final consultations. Public officers can look forward to a three percent salary increase starting October first, 2025, with another bump coming at the start of the 2026–2027 fiscal year. However, discussions are still ongoing about restoring the remaining five-and-a-half percent in salary cuts and a second frozen increment, both tied to broader reforms in pensions, cost-saving measures, and boosting government revenue. In a major win for educators, the government will begin fully covering pension and gratuity payments for teachers in grant-aided schools starting this September. Looking ahead, the government says it wants to take a more rounded approach to negotiations, focusing not just on salaries but also on quality of life and productivity. Topics on the table include cost of living adjustments, tax relief, access to land and housing, education scholarships, and better union benefits. Deputy Prime Minister Cordel Hyde, who signed the official letter, emphasized the administration’s commitment to respectful and responsible dialogue with unions. Still, not everyone is ready to celebrate just yet. The Belize National Teachers Union is holding off on any decisions for now. Members were expected to vote later today on how to move forward after last week’s meeting with the government. With the government’s latest proposal, that vote has been put on hold, while the union goes over its details carefully.

B.N.T.U Deliberating Response to GOB Proposal

This all follows a high-level meeting on May thirteenth between union leaders and government officials under the Joint Union Negotiating Team. We spoke with the Minister of Public Service, Henry Charles Usher, who weighed in on the situation. When asked whether the government is concerned about a potential strike, he acknowledged the stakes but emphasized the administration’s commitment to dialogue and compromise.

Henry Charles Usher, Minister of Public Service

“I think they did issue a notice last week Wednesday. A week has passed. No I believe that was all part of their they had said that they would have certain steps that they would take. They would have the sit down, they would be going to level two, level three. But we hope that we don’t get to level three. We hope that with these proposals, that these proposals are accepted, that the membership of the PSU, the membership of the BNTU and all of the broader teachers, public officers, that they can see that these are reasonable proposal. These are proposals that are sustainable. These are proposals that have come out of a level of discourse, a respectful level of discourse around the table. And as I always say it’s always better to talk to each other than at each other.”

Reporter

“No, the fundamental of the proposal, as I understand, it’s three and a half percent in October of this year, and then another unnamed amount at the start of fiscal, of the next fiscal. Is that the heart of the proposal?”

Henry Charles

“So you’re speaking to only one item on the seventh point, One of seven.”

Reporter

“Just look at the money.”

Henry Charles Usher

“Yeah, of course. No, it’s a three percent salary adjustment in starting in October and then in April or the start of the next fiscal year. The unfreezing of one of the increments that were frozen during the covid time. So remember that there were two increments that were frozen. The unfreezing of one of those will be done or is being proposed to be done at the next fiscal year starting of course April first, 2026. And then the remaining conversation has to do with the 5.5% since three. Is being done in October and the second increment. So that is where further discussion is needed. And of course, you have to look at the performance of the economy. You have to look at the ability to be able to implement those salary adjustments going forward. But the idea, and what we discussed around the table is that it will be done in three, in a three-year time frame.”

Does the G.O.B. Regret C.E.O. Salary Increase Leak?

In mid-April, public frustration boiled over after it was revealed that Cabinet Secretary Stuart Leslie and government CEOs received salary increases just days after the 2025 general election. Leslie’s new salary is ninety-six thousand dollars a year, while CEOs are now earning eighty-eight thousand dollars. The news sparked backlash from groups like the Public Service Union and the Belize National Teachers’ Union, who’ve been pushing for raises for years. In response, the BNTU staged a protest in Belmopan, demanding an eight-and-a-half percent salary adjustment for teachers. With public pressure mounting, the government quickly formed a negotiating team to meet with union leaders. When asked whether the situation could’ve been handled more carefully, Minister of Public Service Henry Charles Usher shared his thoughts on the fallout.

Henry Charles Usher, Minister of Public Service

“Hindsight is 2020, and I’m not on the morning quarterback. I won’t go back and say, we should have done this or should have done that differently. But what I can say is that if it was as simple as the CEO’s salaries, then the one item on the on the agenda when we met around the table, we’ll remove the salary, increase the CEOs, and that should have brought us back to a level playing field. So certainly that was not the intention of government. When we met with the unions, we met with them because we wanted to have a sustainable way in terms of looking at the salaries in the public service salaries to public officers and teachers. And that’s why another bullet point is the bullet point that speaks about the cost of living adjustment at looking at the consumer price index to see how it is that we can have a formula to look at salaries every year. That looks at the CPI that looks at the cost of living adjustment maybe every year, every two years, whatever is agreed upon so that we don’t get to a situation where you have areas of the public service or teachers or anybody saying, oh, we want this increase. We want that increase. We know that an increase is coming because it’s based on a formula. Included in that discussion was looking at other areas that we can properly compensate our public officers, perhaps looking at housing initiatives, looking at different areas that they can benefit from. We can’t always meet a numerical figure, but we can always try to work with our public officer, with our teachers, with all of the public service to see how we can properly compensate, how we can have what’s the way Minister Fika put it is that it’s a quality of living situation. We want a quality of life for our public officers, for our teachers. That is one that is respectable, one that is dignified. One that they can make sure that they can take care of all of their needs, and that is what we have to look at. On the flip side of that is productivity. We have to make sure that our teachers are public officers, remain as productive as they are right now, and to improve upon the efficiency of service, improve upon the productivity in all sectors.”

Ministry of Public Service Makes Plans to Improve Revenue Collection

The government says its growing wage bill is putting pressure on the national budget, making it difficult to meet the salary demands of all public workers. But the Belize National Teachers’ Union isn’t backing down, arguing that it’s the government’s duty to manage spending wisely and ensure fair wages for all Belizeans. This morning, we asked the Minister of Public Service Henry Charles Usher how the government plans to tackle the issue and whether it will provide more transparency about who’s on the public payroll, a key demand from the unions.

Henry Charles Usher, Minister of Public Service

“That is always a priority. As a matter of fact, in previous discussions with the joint union team we established some committees, the Revenue Enhancement Committee, the Cost Saving committee, and the Pension Reform committee. Those committee are committees that are standing, meaning that they are operating earlier around and they are advising and making recommendations to the government as to how we can improve revenue collection, improve new areas of revenue improve on the cost saving initiatives that the government has put in place. One of those is to look at the wage bill, to see areas where we can improve in terms of. Perhaps we have to do audits of the different ministries, departments to see if there are workers to fill all of those posts, et cetera. That’s what’s called a desk audit. So all of that is ongoing. And while that is happening, we’re also looking at the comprehensive review of the salary structure in the public service. That is a project also that we’re working in collaboration with the IDB to bring in consultants to work with the Minister of Public Service. The Minister of Finance, of course, the Minister of Education. And the other departments necessary to be able to implement that comprehensive salary review. At the end, we hope to be able to have a public service that not only is affordable. That is one that is, the wage bill is something that we can certainly budget for, but also we want to make sure we have the best and the brightest in these departments. And that means we have to properly compensate them and we have to look at what the private sector is paying to certain people to see, to make sure that we at least remain competitive in the public service.”

Government Officials Respond to Constitution Report Criticism

On Monday, a group of former commissioners from the People’s Constitution Commission broke its silence, raising serious red flags about the final draft of a report that was handed over to Prime Minister John Briceño. In a strongly worded letter to the PM, the group outlines a series of concerns — from poor record-keeping and questionable procedures, to what they call a misuse of the ‘consensus principle,’ which they argue has no legal basis. Even more troubling, they claim that not all commissioners had access to the full report and that many never approved it. Since then, Dr. Louis Zabaneh, the current minister in charge of constitutional affairs, has responded to the backlash. And earlier today, his predecessor, Henry Charles Usher, also weighed in. He didn’t hold back, saying the commissioners who are now speaking out simply didn’t understand what their role was in the process.

Henry Charles Usher, Minister of Public Service

“First, I’m happy to see that there was a report prepared with a hundred and sixty-seven recommendations. It was delivered to the prime minister and now that, with the amendment that we are attempting to get through to increase the time, we have to look at those one hundred and sixty-seven recommendations. Remember, this initiative called the People’s Constitution Commission was to hear the views of the people, was to hear the views of the Belizean people at home and abroad because it actually had an opportunity to reach out to the diaspora. It wasn’t necessarily to hear the views of the commissioners. And that’s what they were told from the very beginning, “your views, your personal opinions, you have to put aside. You are merely a conduit for the people to talk to the government. The views, the opinions, the passion projects of the commissioners, were not supposed to be in that report. If they wanted it to be in the report, they should have had somebody in the public raise it at one of the consultations. But at the last minute, or at any part of the process, your job was not to say, “Oh, I want this in the report. I think this should be in the report.” No. If it was not raised in any of the consultations with the people, then it should not be in the report.”

Did PCC Commissioners Understand the Assignment?

So, how does Usher feel about the National Women’s Commission and the University of Belize also signing the letter sent to Prime Minister Briceño?

Henry Charles Usher, Minister of Public Service

“No, I don’t take issue with them, I just think that they, perhaps, misunderstood what they were there to do. That they were not there to say what is the position of the National Women’s Commission. They were not there to say what is the position of the national university. They were there to say we went to so many consultations countrywide, including an online version with the diaspora, and this is what they are saying, and this is what is in the report. Now, in terms of their procedural issues, I can’t comment on that because I wasn’t a part of it in terms of how whatever got into the report got there because of where it came from. Like I said, there were over six thousand points that they used and they condensed it to a hundred and sixty-seven recommendations, and those are the recommendations that are in the report.”

Transport C.E.O. says Minister will Handle Bus Operator Negotiations

On Wednesday, we brought you the Ministry of Transport’s bold vision to unify the country’s public transit system under a single national bus company. But that vision has hit a speed bump. The Belize Bus Owners Association is pushing back, hard. Their concern? That this proposal could drive independent operators off the road and threaten the livelihoods of dozens of families who rely on the industry. The association is calling for fairness and transparency as the government moves forward. In response, Transport Minister Doctor Louis Zabaneh told News Five that the opposition is not as widespread as it may seem. He claims only a small group of operators are resisting the idea and emphasized that the plan is still in its early stages. But when we reached out today for an update, C.E.O. of the Ministry of Transport, Chester Williams, declined to comment, saying he could not disclose any further details at this time.

Chester Williams, CEO, Ministry of Transport

“The minister is the one dealing directly with the bus issue meeting with the different bus owners. Yes, I do attend the meetings with him, but I leave that for him to be able to address. I don’t think I am in a place to be able to comment on that because he’s a lead in that aspect and that’s a policy issue. So that’s a matter for the minister. When he have decided exactly what route will go, then it is passed down to be as the CO to ensure that there’s execution in terms of what the policy of the minister is.” 9:40 So, what’s next for Belize’s bus system? That remains to be seen.”

But one thing is clear—the road to reform may be longer and bumpier than expected.

Big Changes Coming to Belizean Bus Terminals

You may remember the alarming incident last year when two women narrowly escaped serious injury after parts of the Novelo’s Bus Terminal roof came crashing down. While the roof was quickly patched up, the scare exposed a much bigger issue—the terminal is in desperate need of full renovation. Well, change is finally on the horizon. Today, the government made a public commitment to revamping the heavily used terminal. C.E.O. of the Ministry of Transport, Chester Williams, toured the facility alongside Chief Transport Officer Leon Gentle and Deputy Transport Officer Peter Williams to assess the damage and discuss what improvements are coming. We caught up with the team during their walkthrough to find out what commuters can expect from the upcoming upgrades.

Chester Williams, C.E.O., Ministry of Transport

“From my tour of the terminal itself, we have seen a number of deficiencies things that we believe needs to be improved. One of the main concerns that people have is that when it rains, the terminals do take water, at least about three inches of water inside the terminal itself. And so they may be a need to bring in a contractor to look at it and see what, if anything can be done to raise the flooring. Perhaps maybe about three inches and that way the water will be able to slide out of the terminals as opposed to coming into the terminal. Again, the seating arrangement inside the terminal is certainly inadequate. We just have one metal thing on the chair that people sit on. I don’t think that it’s comfortable for anybody to, to sit on, and so that needs to be improved. There is nothing inside the terminal that tells the commuter the commuters what are the schedule of the buses. And so we’re looking at putting in screens in the terminals that will be able to depict the bus schedules of each of the different bus companies so that when you come to the terminal and you want and what time, what bus will leave, you can go to the screen just like when I go to on airport and the screen will tell you James will leave at the set time. BWOC will leave at the set time and that will be able to help people to schedule themselves more better. We have bathrooms where that women are using and the doors are broken. People can go and peep on them when they’re using the bathroom. It cannot work. These bathrooms are used by pregnant women on a daily basis. Who traverses the terminal. Again, we have to make sure the bathrooms are in a state of good hygiene. I am happy to see that the terminal supervisor, Ms. Hyde, she seems to be on top of her game. ’cause I can say that while the infrastructure may not be how we want it to be in terms of the cleanliness of the bathroom, it is extremely clean. So I can see that they’re doing well in terms of maintaining the cleanness of the bathroom. And so we will work with them to make sure that we can fix the problem that do exist. Again, the objective is to make sure we provide good quality service to and people.”