Pacific Ontological (in)Security in the Shadow of Trump’s Deportation Agenda: A Multi-Level Analysis

Although it is increasingly well-recognized that ontological security manifests across multiple levels of analysis, different levels are rarely examined concurrently through the same event. By undertaking a multi-level Ontological Security Studies (OSS) analysis using various perspectives of one particular issue, we can nuance our understanding of cross-border, multi-actor issues like migration, and consider how insecurities operate and are responded to in many ways across different but interconnected levels. The deportation of non-citizens from the USA has emerged as a focus of Donald Trump’s second non-consecutive presidential term, marked by a swift and dramatic escalation in immigration enforcement measures. This article examines the first six months of Trump’s second presidency through an OSS lens, undertaking an analysis of US deportations at multiple levels: the structural level (the actioning of deportation); the micro-level of individuals and communities who are vulnerable to deportation; the affected (receiving) state; and the macro-level of international diplomacy. Trump’s administration framed expulsions as essential to preserving the US’ domestic identity and stability; Pacific Islanders residing in the USA feared abrupt displacement and social dislocation; and Pacific Island states grappled with the return of individuals unfamiliar with local identity and societal norms. Deportation-induced insecurity prompted defensive reactions by all actors—heightening restrictive immigration policies in the USA, legal action and concealment among affected individuals, and driving diplomatic negotiations by Pacific receiving states.